Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Announces the Executive Status of the Food pillar Projects within framework of the Country Platform for the “NWFE” Program

As part of the launch of the second progress report of the Country Platform on the "NWFE" Program
 
Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Announces the Executive Status of the Food pillar Projects within framework of the Country Platform for the “NWFE” Program

 

The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation launched the second Second Progress Report on the Country Platform for the "NWFE" Program, which includes a list of projects in the water, food, energy, and sustainable transport sectors to enhance climate action and increase efforts to transition to a green economy in Egypt. This came during a high-level event under the patronage and in the presence of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, along with several ministers, development partners, and private sector representatives.

 

The report reviewed the implementation progress of the Food Pillar within the Country Platform for the “NWFE” Program. H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, emphasized that the water and food sectors are among the most affected by climate change and are crucial for achieving economic development and enhancing food and water security. Therefore, the program includes several projects in both sectors.

 

H.E. added that the program strengthens efforts between national entities and development partners to create effective and inclusive ways to promote development in these sectors and provide the necessary financing mechanisms and technical support to enhance adaptation efforts in the water and food sectors, based on diagnostic reports prepared with development partners such as the Climate and Development Report, and in support of the implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy 2050.

 

Updates on the implementation of food projects

 

The report reviewed the progress of the qualification phases of the project “Climate-Resilient Water Management Project in the Nile Valley - CROWN,” implemented by the Ministries of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and Water Resources and Irrigation, in cooperation with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), explaining that the geographical areas of the project were identified according to the needs and priorities of national entities and the National Strategy for Irrigation Systems Development, taking into account the equitable distribution of development projects across the country and areas highly affected by climate change, with a focus on improving the standard of living in the poorest areas,  including Central and Southern Egypt. Additionally, the detailed technical design report for the project operations and components has been finalized and the financial framework for financing the project has been developed.

 

With regard to the (Climate-Resilient Agricultural Transformation Project – CRAFT), implemented by the Ministries of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and Water Resources and Irrigation in partnership with the World Bank, the geographical areas for the project sites were determined based on the needs and priorities of national entities and the National Strategy for Irrigation Systems Development, taking into account the equitable distribution of development projects across the country to be in the Delta governorates for the modern irrigation component (centers and villages of the “Decent Life” initiative) and all over the country for the early warning system component, and the detailed technical design of the project operations and components has been completed, as well as  the financial framework for financing the project has been developed.

 

The report also highlighted the “Adaptation Project in the Northern Delta Region Affected by Rising Sea Levels,” where geographical areas for project sites were identified according to the needs and priorities of national entities in Northern Delta region of Egypt, with a focus on the five governorates of Port Said, Damietta, Kafr El Sheikh, Dakahlia and Beheira. Within the framework of efforts to mobilize the technical and financial support needed to prepare technical studies and design the project the European Union allocated a grant of €125,000 to finance the consultancy services needed to prepare the necessary study for the project, and the European Investment Bank allocated €300,000 to complete the studies needed for evaluating the impact of salinity on agricultural productivity and preparing studies to address sea level rise and increased soil salinity.

 

The report further addressed the “Resilience in Remote and Most Needy Areas Project,” implemented by the Ministries of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and Irrigation and Water Resources, in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank. The geographical areas of the project were identified according to the needs and priorities of the relevant Egyptian entities, ensuring the equitable distribution of projects to all regions of the Republic with attention to areas most vulnerable to climate change and maximizing the benefit of the project interventions to include the New Valley and Giza governorates with the possibility of including areas from Central Sinai.

 

The project aims to establish integrated agro-industrial zones in all targeted remote areas, with the aim of improving the livelihoods of people in those areas by providing an integrated package of investments. The detailed design of the project has been finalized, and the project consists of five main components: supporting a governance and management framework for agro-industrial zones, economic infrastructure for agro-industrial development, capacity building for sustainable agro-industrialization, social infrastructure, SME development and access to financial services.

 

Regarding international partnerships to integrate with the efforts of the country platform for the “NWFE” program, the report reviewed the agreement signed between the Arab Republic of Egypt, represented by the Ministries of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and the United Kingdom to enhance food security by establishing a strategic partnership between Egypt and the United Kingdom on sustainable food security, including the exchange of technical expertise and bilateral cooperation, by starting a new pilot program for technical expertise to promote local wheat production and sustainable agriculture in Egypt, and identifying areas of cooperation in light of the priorities