The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has signed an agreement with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment to finance a project to turn Sharm El Sheikh into a ‘green city’ within the next six years.
The project, which will be supported by a US$6.2 million grant will rely on ‘nature-based solutions’ to turn the popular resort into an example of a sustainable tourist destination for both the rest of Egypt, and the neighbouring Arab states.
According to Alessandro Fracassetti, the UNDP’s representative in Egypt, the programme will include tackling issues such as solid waste management, solar panels, desalinisation and water conservation, green hotel standards, sustainable transportation, and the protection of Sharm’s renowned biodiversity.
‘Sustainable practices in tourism development also require business operators to assess the future of tourism in Egypt,’ said Mr Fracassetti, announcing the initative. ‘Globally, we are seeing rapid changes in how tourism is practised, [and travellers] a are increasingly aware of how their decisions have lasting impacts on local communities. The tourism sector needs to assess and adapt to these global changes to be sustainable.’
The announcement comes during the build-up to COP27, the UN climate conference which will be hosted by Sharm El Sheikh in November 2022. New environmental guidelines are to be put in place throughout the resort, including a campaign which will ensure that single-use plastics will be banned by the time delegates arrive in Sharm.
‘We have programmes like this for the whole of Egypt,’ said Fracassetti. ‘We are currently supporting 19 protected areas in Egypt to turn them into ecotourism destinations.’
