Environment Minister: Cooperation with the Diving Chamber to link the marine trip notification app with the ministry's e-ticketing system
An integrated coastal zone management plan to be developed to preserve coral reefs
Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, witnessed the signing of two cooperation protocols between the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency and the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports on strengthening joint efforts to protect the marine environment and ensure the sustainability of natural resources, and on establishing a specialized unit for the maintenance and installation of mooring buoys in South Sinai Governorate.
The protocols were signed by Dr. Ali Abu Sena, CEO of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and Mostafa Hefny, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports, in the presence of Hoda El-Shawadfy, the minister's assistant for ecotourism; Major General (Staff) Khaled Abbas, head of the Nature Conservation Sector; Saber El-Kilany, board member of the chamber and head of its Environment Committee; and Karim Yasser, Executive Director of the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports.
Dr. Manal Awad affirmed that the signing of the two protocols stems from the drive to preserve the environment and natural resources, use them wisely without depleting them and take into account the rights of future generations, through partnership with all bodies and institutions at the national level for the rational and sustainable management of natural resource assets, rationalizing their use and maintaining the balance of ecosystems and biodiversity. It also reflects an awareness of the importance of joint cooperation and the exchange of expertise and visions in the environmental field, especially in light of the rapid development the field is witnessing, in order to strengthen technical and scientific capacities, overcome all the challenges facing the protection of the environment, natural resources and biodiversity, and address the effects of climate change.
The Minister of Environment added that the areas of joint cooperation under the first protocol include linking the chamber's marine trip notification app with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency's e-ticketing system, and cooperating to develop an integrated coastal zone management plan to preserve coral reefs.
She explained that the marine trip notification app can be used as a digital tool to monitor and regulate the integrated coastal zone management plan, and to ensure that establishments operating in the diving and marine activities sector comply with the permitted carrying capacity at all diving, snorkeling and marine activity sites, based on the data collected through the app. This will enable the Ministry of Environment to establish a marine management plan and determine the carrying capacity of all activity sites.
She added that the joint cooperation includes reports and data on yacht traffic obtained through the marine trip notification app, as well as cooperation on the information and data required to update the profiles of diving and marine activity sites on both parties' websites.
She noted that the cooperation protocol includes creating a joint framework between the two parties to preserve the environment and optimally handle the reporting of environmental violations and marine life incidents, and verifying the legality and validity of the licenses of entities carrying out marine activities or shore snorkeling activities, whether inside or outside protected areas within South Sinai and Red Sea governorates. It also focuses on creating and disseminating online environmental awareness campaigns, highlighting awareness of marine life and the best ways to practice marine activities without harming the environment, and cooperating on underwater clean-up campaigns at the various activity sites.
Under the joint cooperation protocol, the two parties will work on solutions to improve the waste management network on both safari trips and daily yacht trips, focusing on improving the separation of organic from inorganic waste, reducing unnecessary waste generated by yachts, and making every possible effort to ensure that single-use plastics are not used on board yachts.
In a related context, the second cooperation protocol, signed between the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency and the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports, aims to establish a specialized unit for the maintenance and installation of mooring buoys, headquartered at the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports in South Sinai Governorate, to preserve the marine environment.
Manal Awad explained that this protocol defines the mechanisms for implementing a number of technical and procedural provisions, chief among them the establishment of a specialized unit for the maintenance and installation of mooring buoys at diving and marine activity sites, headquartered at the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports in South Sinai Governorate, to ensure the safety of marine activities and divers and the effectiveness of the mooring buoys at dive sites.
Under the cooperation protocol, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency will work to obtain the necessary permits and coordinate with all relevant authorities for the maintenance, installation and other works related to the mooring buoys; coordinate with the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports on using the materials and equipment available in the warehouses of the South Sinai protectorates; provide the protectorates' marine units; and carry out coordination and periodic follow-up with the chamber to measure the efficiency of the mooring buoys, including regular inspections to ensure they are safe and working properly.
The cooperation protocol also commits the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports to providing the yachts used for maintenance work, and to supplying newly required maintenance materials and raw materials not available in the warehouses of the South Sinai protectorates, including ropes, buoys, anti-corrosion materials and all other necessary materials, taking into account quality standards appropriate and suitable for the marine environment.
The chamber will also provide qualified human resources specialized in mooring buoy maintenance, ensuring continuous training for workers in this field to carry out maintenance effectively, under the direct supervision of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency's South Sinai protectorates. In addition, it will carry out continuous periodic maintenance of the mooring buoys at least 3 times a month, according to a set schedule that includes inspecting the buoys, carrying out any repairs or replacing damaged parts, and submitting periodic reports by the technical committee in charge of maintenance on the condition of the buoys and the work completed, while identifying future needs or improvements, according to the official page of the Egyptian Cabinet on Facebook.
