Egypt: Land Degradation Issues with Special Reference to the Impact of Climate Change - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 123

Climate Change Unit at EEAA as the institutional focal point for climate change.
In addition, a support program to build the capacity to institutionalize Clean De-
velopment Mechanism (CDM) was completed successfully during November 2001
as a step towards implementing Egypt's strategy on CDM. The strategy includes,
but not limited to, improving energy efficiency, promoting use of renewable energy,
and expanding current activities for afforestation using treated wastewater to plant
timber trees. The climate change targets are mainly improving energy efficiency,
promoting use of renewable energy, (Box 6.1 ) and expanding current activities for
afforestation using treated wastewater to plant wood trees.

Box 6.1: Renewable Energy Wind Power

Egypt had its wind potential assessed in 2003. With wind speeds of 7-10 m/s,
almost the entire country is ideal for wind power, with the best areas in
the Gulf of Suez coast. Then in 2008, the Egyptian government passed
an ambitious plan to produce 20 % of its energy from renewables, with
12 % to come from wind. The Egyptian cabinet has approved inducements
to wind power development, including exemption from customs duties and
20-25 year power purchase agreements with government guarantees. Now a
7,600 km 2 region has been earmarked by the New and Renewable Energy
Authority (NREA) for wind development. NREA has obtained permits for
land allocation and leases to wind farm developers. If successful, Egypt will
get 12 % of its energy from wind power.

6.2 Desertification

Egypt, with land extending over one million square kilometers under arid and
hyperarid climatic conditions, is endowed with varied agro-ecological zones
(Fig. 6.1 ) with varied and specific attributes of resource base, climatic features,
terrain and geomorphic characteristics, land use patterns and socio-economic
implications. A meaningful national action plan for Egypt would be comprised
of sub-components, each of which is geared to address the specific attributes of
each agro-ecological zone distinguished in Egypt. The zones could be identified as
follows:

1. North Coastal Belts: Including North West coastal areas and Northern areas of
Sinai.
2. The Nile Valley: Encompassing the fertile alluvial land of Upper Egypt, the Delta
and the reclaimed desert areas in the fringes of the old Nile valley.
3. The Oases and Southern Remote Desert Areas: Including Uwienate, Toshki and
Darb El-Arbien Areas and Oases of the Western Desert.
4. The Desert Inland: Including the plateau and dry valleys of Sinai and elevated
areas in the Southern Eastern Desert.