As part of a series of review meetings across the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, held a high-level session with leadership from the Central Department for Environmental Inspection and Compliance, to evaluate field performance, discuss regulatory challenges, and chart forward-looking strategies for stronger environmental governance in Egypt.
Dr. Awad met with Dr. Mohamed Farouk, Head of the Central Department and supervisor of the Ministry’s coal units, along with his team, to review inspection outcomes, performance indicators, and the department’s legal oversight mechanisms in monitoring industrial compliance with national and international environmental standards.
Strategic Lever for Sustainability
Dr. Awad emphasized the department’s vital role in enforcing Law No. 4 of 1994 on environmental protection and its executive regulations. She underlined the importance of ensuring that industrial, commercial, and service entities operate within the legal environmental thresholds, not only to mitigate pollution but also to align with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and its commitments under various international environmental agreements.
Key Inspection Outcomes: September 2024 – August 2025
Dr. Farouk reported that the Ministry, in cooperation with relevant state agencies, has conducted 625 on-site inspections of major facilities across different sectors over the past year. Additionally, environmental rectification plans for 242 facilities have been monitored, ensuring corrective actions are underway.
The Ministry also achieved 100% resolution of environmental complaints submitted via Egypt’s Unified Government Complaints System and directly to the Ministry. This includes joint inspections with the Environmental and Water Surfaces Police of 30 tourist houseboats in Cairo and Giza.
National Environmental Health and Industry Oversight
Dr. Awad reviewed progress in reviewing environmental compliance in key industrial zones and sectors, including:
- Ports: Environmental audits of nine Egyptian ports in coordination with the Coastal Zones Central Department and the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, in line with presidential directives to produce an environmental status report for the maritime sector.
- Petroleum Sector (Gulf of Suez): Ongoing implementation of environmental rectification plans for wastewater treatment at several petroleum companies, now in trial operation, as part of national efforts to curb marine pollution.
- Cement Sector: Oversight of 27 cement plants to ensure their compliance with Ministerial Decree No. 49, mandating the use of Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) in place of fossil fuels.
Digital Transformation in Coal Unit Oversight
The meeting also covered the work of the Ministry’s coal units—covering both petroleum and vegetal coal—where the team is piloting a new digital service system to streamline investor services, reduce paperwork, and accelerate approvals in line with the government’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Capacity Building and Workforce Development
Dr. Awad concluded the meeting by issuing directives to launch comprehensive training programs for environmental officers across all governorates, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Development through the Saqara Training Center. The training aims to enhance technical competencies in environmental inspection, enforcement, and compliance monitoring.
