CAIRO — The Egyptian Coptic Church launched Dec. 25 an initiative to plant trees within the grounds of its church buildings and parishes in an effort to handle local weather change.
The church additionally announced a competition with prizes totaling 750,000 Egyptian kilos (roughly $48,000), offered that rivals select timber appropriate for the atmosphere during which they are going to be planted, consider landscaping and aesthetic look, and plant at least 1,000 timber in each distinguished parish.
The spokesman for the Egyptian Coptic Church, Moussa Ibrahim, instructed Al-Monitor, “The tree planting initiative stems from the church’s considerations about preserving the nation and the world as a complete amid the local weather change the planet is experiencing. The church needed to take a stance and do one thing about it.”
He mentioned, “The church has launched a number of initiatives to lift consciousness about local weather change particularly in Egyptian villages, in addition to its participation in a number of events and conferences organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Surroundings or civil society organizations involved with local weather change points.”
Ibrahim famous, “The initiative obtained broad acclaim and plenty of media outlets lined the story, permitting it to have a wider attain. The outcomes of the tree planting competitors will likely be introduced earlier than Egypt hosts the COP27 [United Nations Climate Change Conference] in November 2022, and the outcomes of this work will likely be offered throughout the convention actions.”
On Nov. 12, the plenary session on the COP26 determined to carry the following version of the convention in Sharm el-Sheikh, in November 2022.
The Egyptian authorities instantly started preparations to host the COP27. On Nov. 25, it shaped a supreme committee headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly to arrange the convention. The committee consists of Surroundings Minister Yasmine Fouad, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait and Planning Minister Hala al-Saeed.
Fouad famous in a Nov. 25 statement that coordination conferences had been held together with her counterparts in several ministries to develop an motion plan for organizing the convention. “Throughout the conferences, quite a few initiatives and implementation mechanisms had been mentioned, along with a bundle of growth tasks, primarily based on the National Strategy for Climate Change.”
Kamal Zakher, a Coptic journalist for Shorouk News, instructed Al-Monitor, “The social and environmental dimension is an integral a part of the Egyptian Church’s duties. It thus contributes to the homeland’s sustainable growth.”
He mentioned, “The tree planting initiative helps elevate consciousness amongst residents and educate them on how this necessary problem impacts all elements of life and has destructive repercussions that we are able to stop collectively. The church is thus supporting environmental consciousness and social growth in addition to selling a way of solidarity amongst individuals.”
In the meantime, Saber Othman, a local weather change professional and former director of the local weather change division on the Ministry of Surroundings, instructed Al-Monitor, “The Egyptian Church’s initiative is among the most necessary initiatives to lift consciousness about local weather change. Though timber take years to develop and start the method of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, such initiatives are necessary to lift consciousness and inspire individuals to take severe steps to confront local weather change.”
He famous, “Egyptian authorities — official or unofficial — have just lately paid nice consideration to addressing the local weather change disaster after seeing its results with their very own eyes.”
Othman added, “Many studies have addressed the impression of climate change on Egypt, with high of the checklist the rise in sea degree. The proof is what is going on within the metropolis of Alexandria — the erosion of the seashores and salinization of the soil — whereas the Nile Delta is threatened by a rise within the space of saline soil, to not point out the violent climate occasions after which farmers endured heavy losses and plenty of buildings in urban areas had been broken.”
The Egyptian authorities has not formally commented on the church’s initiative. Nevertheless, a supply on the Egyptian Ministry of Surroundings, who declined to be named, instructed Al-Monitor, “The initiative was welcomed by the Ministry of Surroundings because of its significance in elevating consciousness of the local weather change disaster, at a time after we are attempting to emphasize the necessity to protect the atmosphere, particularly in gentle of our preparations to host the COP27 later this 12 months.”
The supply added, “The Egyptian Church cooperates with us in lots of tasks associated to preserving the atmosphere, and performs an lively position within the area of group consciousness. It is a required and necessary matter for all establishments along side the Egyptian state’s curiosity in addressing environmental safety and coping with local weather adjustments. Al-Azhar and the church particularly advocate for all Egyptians.”
