Sharm el-Sheikh already relies on solar power for 70 percent of its lighting, but the Egyptian government wants to improve this figure even more.

The Governor of South Sinai, Khaled Fouda, has indicated that Sharm el-Sheikh hopes to be fully powered by solar energy within the next three months.

Last week Egypt launched a new power plant generated by solar energy in Siwa in the  west of the country.

The move towards alternative energy sources has been a growing trend by the Egyptian government due to an energy shortfall within the country.

Egypt has been facing an energy crisis for years. It aims to build solar power plants and wind energy facilities within the next three years, with a capacity of generating 4,300 megawatts.

Egypt has also signed an agreement with Russia that will assist in the building of a nuclear power plant.

Sharm el-Sheikh will host a major investment summit from 13th-15th March with hopes that there will be investments to help Egypt’s economy.

The government recently said that it expects to start signing deals for solar PV projects at the conference.

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Plans to build a Red Sea bridge connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been revived but there are some serious environmental concerns

More than two decades after it was first planned, Egypt and Saudi Arabia may be about to start work on a land and sea bridge connecting the two countries. The proposed bridge would run 50 kilometres from the Tabuk region in Saudi, across the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba in Egypt. Conservationists in Egypt have however raised concerns about the possible destruction of coastal and marine environments in the process of building the bridge. Some explain that the bridge could negatively impact protected areas including coral reefs, the nesting grounds of turtles and the Tiran Island sea birds.

According to local news sources, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will be meeting in the next few week to discuss the technical details of project. Costing an estimated US$3 billion, the project is by no means a small undertaking. In fact, the size and scale of the project is what concerns conservationist as there appears to be very little in the way of environmental assessment.

Smaller proposals to build artificial islands and bridges in the region have been criticized in the past for their potential environmental damage to the coastline and marine life. In Egypt, there is a constant threat to pristine ecosystems due to tourism industry and efforts to grow the sector following the Arab Spring. However, there should to be clear balance between the environment costs and the economic benefits and at the moment that balance is missing.

Speaking to a conservationist in Egypt, there are concerns about the impact the actual construction of the bridge will have on the marine environment. Building around sensitive marine ecosystems is deeply problematic and there could be long-term implications on fisheries, corals, the sea floor and water quality. Bringing a whole new trading centre to the region will also put pressure on the marine environment and its resources.

And all those in the tourism industry need to bear in mind the impact of this environmental degradation on their sector as the diving and beach industry could be negatively affected. The disruption to those currently living in the area such as local bedouins is another issue which needs to be addressed.

The bridge is designed to facilitate the movement of goods and also pilgrims during the hajj season by reducing the time it takes to cross the borders. Indeed, the bridge would serve as a connection between two continents and it is believed that the cost of the project would be recovered in 10 years through tolls and fees.

::Egypt Independent

Top Image via vigour/flickr.

For more on Egypt and marine protection see:
Israel Considers Building An Artificial Island Off Gaza
When Tourism and Nature Collide- Protected Land Under Threat In Egypt
‘There is Hope Now’- Conservationist On Egypt’s Post Revolution Future

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Egypt’s Ministers of Environment and Tourism signed a tripartite agreement with the South Sinai governor to convert the popular Egyptian diving town Sharm el-Sheikh into a bonafide green city by 2020. The $.25 million deal signed by Dr. Mostafa Hussein Kamel, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs, Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nur, Minister of Tourism and Major General Khalid Fouda, Governor of South Sinai earlier this week lays out a comprehensive plan for implementing a whole series of steps that will protect the country’s crown jewel of tourism. More details after the jump.

Better environmental oversight

Under the terms of the new protocol, a new Technical Committee will be set up to establish the best steps needed to convert Sharm el-Sheikh into a more sustainable operation. At present this Red Sea resort is a valuable source of tourism dollars, but poor environmental oversight has resulted degraded coral reefs. The presence of trash in the water, on the beach and elsewhere is also a huge turn-off for visitors.

A new Technical Committee is responsible for developing management strategies based on the recently signed protocol while a High Committee will be tasked with putting those strategies to the metal to ensure the successful completion of this transition.

A green dive spot

At present, it is expected that by 2020 Sharm el-Sheikh will be a leaner, greener, even more beautiful spot to visit. Among the issues that will be addressed are:

• Carbon emissions reductions
• Creating a permanent, secure water supply (desalination perhaps?)
• Developing a sound liquid and solid waste plan – better late than never we suppose.
• Establishing plans to preserve the existing biodiversity
• Building the diving industry – sustainably
• Incorporating renewable energy into the town’s grid.

Egypt appears to have woken up to the idea that eco-tourism has necessarily surpassed the tired old mass tourism model that eroded so many beautiful and often archaeologically important sections of the country. As more and more cities in the country take such bold moves, the momentum will grow. Then Egypt will be unstoppable! 52% of the funds will be derived from loans and aid, 42% will be privately funded, and only 3% of the tourism dollars being generated.

:: Pharoah’s Today

More on sustainable tourism in Egypt:

Is Troubled Egypt Ripe Enough for Eco-Tourism?

Post-Revolution Development in Egypt Destroys Popular Dive Spot

Romantic Desert Lodge in Egypt Offers Fresh Eggs and Sanity

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