Climate Impact on Egyptian Agriculture: An Efficiency …
609
The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) is
an organization that coordinate efforts among governments that advocate for improving energy efficiency practices and use of renewables in the Arab region through
collaboration among policymakers, industry and research for key areas like policies, regulation, technical assistance. The RCREEE is a non-profit and is located in
Egypt. Additionally, a set of projects is launched in Egypt to tackle CC is running,
for example, “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast of Egypt”
(ECCANCE) project managed by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
with a budget of US$31.4 million over seven years. The project works on helping
the highly populated areas in the Nile Delta that represent 25% of the Egyptian population, which have been considered as extremely at risk to CC prompted sea-level
rise [12].
Egypt has developed the National Strategy for Adaptation to CC and Disaster
Risk Reduction in 2011. The strategy is a framework of adaptation policy, which
aims at increasing the flexibility of the Egyptian society in relation to dealing with
CC-induced risks and its impact on different activities and sectors and reinforcing
the capacity to adapt and reduce the risks caused by such changes [13]. An Egyptian Climate Change Risk Management program is developed to incorporating GHG
emissions mitigation into the national policy and investment frameworks, including Clean Development Mechanism financing opportunities, Enhancing the national
capacity to CC adaptation through synergies among water, energy and food sectors,
and finally advocacy and awareness-raising [14]. Furthermore, work on reducing
CO 2 emissions, the Egyptian government is advocating a higher energy efficiency in
the industrial sectors and improved practices in the agricultural sector. For example,
the use of drought-resistant crops and improved irrigation systems for water saving,
and encouraging citizens to adopt alternative technologies of energy consumption
like using generating electricity from solar panels, increasing awareness of using
water resources [15]. In relation to the adoption of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Egypt has established the “Sustainable Development Strategy;
Egypt’s Vision 2030” that represent a roadmap for the country to achieve its desired
SDGs during the next 15 years. This strategy is having three dimensions focusing on
economic, environmental and social sides. The three dimensions consist of a set of
pillars that target for improvement, for example in the case of economic dimension
it focuses on the improvement of Egypt’s economic development, energy efficiency,
and knowledge and innovation. While the environmental dimension is focused on
improving ecosystems and improving environmental efficiency and optimal use of
available resources, moreover, an action plan to be implemented to promote resilience
in different sectors [15].
At the industry level, Agribusiness corporates are taking actions towards CC
induced events adaptation and mitigation through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs is SEKEM that is focused on organic agricultural production.
SEKEM applies biodynamic agricultural methods, a specialized method of organic
agriculture which has lower GHG emissions compared to conventional practices.
With regard to adaptation, biodynamic agriculture has a high impact on strengthening CC adaptation through plant diversification, increased water efficiency, using
609
The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) is
an organization that coordinate efforts among governments that advocate for improving energy efficiency practices and use of renewables in the Arab region through
collaboration among policymakers, industry and research for key areas like policies, regulation, technical assistance. The RCREEE is a non-profit and is located in
Egypt. Additionally, a set of projects is launched in Egypt to tackle CC is running,
for example, “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast of Egypt”
(ECCANCE) project managed by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
with a budget of US$31.4 million over seven years. The project works on helping
the highly populated areas in the Nile Delta that represent 25% of the Egyptian population, which have been considered as extremely at risk to CC prompted sea-level
rise [12].
Egypt has developed the National Strategy for Adaptation to CC and Disaster
Risk Reduction in 2011. The strategy is a framework of adaptation policy, which
aims at increasing the flexibility of the Egyptian society in relation to dealing with
CC-induced risks and its impact on different activities and sectors and reinforcing
the capacity to adapt and reduce the risks caused by such changes [13]. An Egyptian Climate Change Risk Management program is developed to incorporating GHG
emissions mitigation into the national policy and investment frameworks, including Clean Development Mechanism financing opportunities, Enhancing the national
capacity to CC adaptation through synergies among water, energy and food sectors,
and finally advocacy and awareness-raising [14]. Furthermore, work on reducing
CO 2 emissions, the Egyptian government is advocating a higher energy efficiency in
the industrial sectors and improved practices in the agricultural sector. For example,
the use of drought-resistant crops and improved irrigation systems for water saving,
and encouraging citizens to adopt alternative technologies of energy consumption
like using generating electricity from solar panels, increasing awareness of using
water resources [15]. In relation to the adoption of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Egypt has established the “Sustainable Development Strategy;
Egypt’s Vision 2030” that represent a roadmap for the country to achieve its desired
SDGs during the next 15 years. This strategy is having three dimensions focusing on
economic, environmental and social sides. The three dimensions consist of a set of
pillars that target for improvement, for example in the case of economic dimension
it focuses on the improvement of Egypt’s economic development, energy efficiency,
and knowledge and innovation. While the environmental dimension is focused on
improving ecosystems and improving environmental efficiency and optimal use of
available resources, moreover, an action plan to be implemented to promote resilience
in different sectors [15].
At the industry level, Agribusiness corporates are taking actions towards CC
induced events adaptation and mitigation through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs is SEKEM that is focused on organic agricultural production.
SEKEM applies biodynamic agricultural methods, a specialized method of organic
agriculture which has lower GHG emissions compared to conventional practices.
With regard to adaptation, biodynamic agriculture has a high impact on strengthening CC adaptation through plant diversification, increased water efficiency, using