While the tone of popular and environmental criticism has increased in recent days regarding the uprooting of trees in the Egyptian capital, the government has mobilized its agencies to reconsider the matter of “greening” as a message of reassurance to public opinion.
Last Saturday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the necessity of adopting a project to “green Cairo,” which aims to transform any vacated space into green spaces.
On Monday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting to follow up on the presidential assignments, where he directed “the immediate start of implementation of the project, starting with planting the ring road, and a number of main axes and roads, with the formation of a working group from the relevant ministries, the governorate, and advisory offices to follow up on implementation.”
He also pointed out “the necessity of starting to prepare a typical model for planting various main roads and axes with various trees, according to what is determined by specialized consultants, where the consultant is responsible for determining the required plantings and afforestation, and the types of trees used for planting in the streets.”
The Prime Minister directed to inventory any vacant government lands, begin converting them into parks and green spaces, and compensate the state region with lands in new cities, in addition to exploiting triple-treated wastewater to irrigate these green spaces and trees.
While the Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Randa El Minshawy, confirmed on Monday that work is currently underway to increase green spaces in new cities. Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber indicated that a model for the afforestation of Cairo has been prepared and implemented, and expansion is underway in major axes and roads, in light of presidential directives.
There are no specific official percentages or final government statistics announced for the percentage of tree felling in Egypt, but media reports “suggest that at least about a million trees be cut.” The reports pointed to “a direct relationship between logging and increasing rates of charcoal exports.” The year 2024 witnessed the export of 90 thousand tons of coal.”
Egyptian journalist, Nashaat Al-Daihi, said that Egypt is witnessing a “tree massacre,” explaining that 90 percent of the pictures and video clips circulating of tree cutting are “real, unfortunate, and disturbing.” He added during his program, on Sunday evening, that “the trees, after being cut, turn into charcoal, which is used either for barbecuing, or in cafes, or for other uses.”
An expert in environmental sciences and climate change, Sawsan Al-Awadi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “uprooting trees in Cairo over the past years was a gradual process linked to road and infrastructure projects.” She pointed out that “the popular and human rights criticism continued for a long time, but the lack of coordination between the responsible parties made the case ‘without a clear owner,’ and it was not known who bore the responsibility.”
She adds: “Today, for the first time, there is a clear hierarchy leading the project after presidential intervention. “This gives us, as experts, greater confidence that the various roles will come together under one umbrella, and the current government mobilization ensures attention to the issue of afforestation.”
Al-Awadi points out that the matter gains additional importance with Egypt’s announcement of hosting the 18th session of the United Nations Conference to Combat Desertification in 2028, and stresses that “it is unacceptable for Cairo to host an event of this size, as it suffers from the crisis of the absence of green spaces.” She shows that by implementing the greening project, Cairo is joining a global shift that focuses on green spaces, bringing it back to the balance between urban development and the environment.
From a scientific standpoint, the expert in environmental sciences and climate change explains, “There are examples of trees that have proven their suitability to the Egyptian environment, such as the poinciana tree that was widespread in the streets of Cairo, which is characterized by roots that do not destroy the infrastructure, a long lifespan, and a low need for water, in addition to an aesthetic appearance that changes with the seasons, as it combines green and red leaves.”
Desert lands occupy about 92 percent of Egypt’s area, according to data from the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, and “Egypt was able to achieve serious steps to reclaim land and combat desertification, as the total reclaimed area reached more than 2 million acres from 2014 to 2024,” according to the Information Center of the Egyptian Cabinet.
On the other hand, Hamdi Arafa, professor of government and local administration and international municipal consultant, believes that the success of the trend towards converting vacant lands within Greater Cairo into public parks and green areas “requires inventorying vacant lands, determining their ownership and function in urban plans, and then placing them within a clear map of green spaces whose use may not be changed except in accordance with the law and approved plans.”
He explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that among the most prominent obstacles facing this file are “the multiplicity of jurisdiction over lands, the presence of lands belonging to governorates, city agencies, or various government agencies, in addition to the high cost of establishing parks, irrigation networks, and maintenance, and the weak sustainability of some afforestation projects after their implementation, in addition to the pressures resulting from the desire to exploit some lands to establish commercial or service activities.”
Arafa also asserts that “greening is not just planting trees, but rather a policy for city management, and converting vacant lands into public parks must be part of the urban, health and environmental planning of Greater Cairo, while preventing the conversion of lands that have been approved for afforestation into commercial projects. Unless the use is explicitly compatible with the plan and legal rules, and does not lead to the removal of trees or the reduction of green spaces.”
He also points out the importance of coordination between Cairo Governorate and the various ministries and agencies, and explains that the solution lies in establishing a permanent coordination committee for urban greening in Greater Cairo that includes the governorate, neighborhoods, ministries of local development, housing, environment, agriculture, and the authorities with jurisdiction over the lands, with the participation of drinking water, sanitation, electricity, roads, and transportation agencies when needed.
Egypt and Britain affirmed their rejection of the escalating Israeli violations against the Palestinians. A phone call took place on Monday between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty and his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, to discuss developments in the Palestinian issue in light of the daily and systematic Israeli violations against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, whether in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or in the Gaza Strip.
The two ministers' contact included, in particular, illegal Israeli settlement activities, and the escalation of settler violence and attacks against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank. The two ministers condemned these practices and warned of their danger and repercussions. They also stressed the need for the international community to act urgently and exert the necessary pressure to stop it.
Meanwhile, Abdel Ati met, on Monday, in Cairo, with Acting Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Christian Saunders, where the meeting discussed developments in the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, the challenges facing the agency’s work, and ways to support and enable it to continue carrying out its international mandate.
Abdel Ati pointed to “Egypt’s full support for UNRWA,” stressing “its indispensable role in providing basic services to Palestinian refugees, and the necessity of providing the necessary political and financial support to continue its work in its five areas of operations.”
In this context, he condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks and violations against the agency’s headquarters and centers, including the Israeli forces’ storming of the UNRWA “Qalandia Training Center” in occupied East Jerusalem and seizing it on August 25, stressing “the necessity of respecting the sanctity of the United Nations headquarters and providing protection for its workers, and rejecting any attempts aimed at undermining the role of UNRWA or compromising its mandate.”
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, the meeting discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, where Minister Abdel Ati stressed “the necessity of ensuring complete, safe and sustainable access for humanitarian and relief aid to the Strip without obstacles, and intensifying international efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.” He stressed "the importance of the pivotal role played by UNRWA in the humanitarian response within the Gaza Strip, and the necessity of enabling it to perform its tasks as a basic pillar of the humanitarian work system, especially in light of the increasing needs of the Palestinian population and refugees."
While Saunders reviewed the increasing challenges facing the work of UNRWA, the difficult humanitarian conditions faced by Palestinian refugees, especially in the Gaza Strip, and the efforts made by the agency to continue providing its services despite the field and financial challenges, he expressed appreciation for the continued Egyptian support for UNRWA, and Egypt’s role in supporting the Palestinian people and alleviating their human suffering.
