Cairo unveils fresh pollution-reduction policies following ministerial approval

EGYPT – Egypt has announced a fresh package of waste management and pollution-reduction measures after Acting Environment Minister and Local Development Minister, Manal Awad, chaired the third meeting of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority’s (WMRA) reconstituted board this week.

The session, Awad’s first since assuming the environment portfolio, underscored the board’s central role in supporting national policy and advancing Egypt’s integrated waste management agenda.

Attendees included WMRA head Yasser Abdullah, senior representatives from ministries, and technical experts.

Key outcomes included approval of regulatory amendments under Waste Law No. 202 of 2020, which governs licensing in the sector.

The updates introduce new appeal mechanisms and create independent licences for companies handling construction and demolition (C\&D) waste.

These licences will be linked to a digital monitoring platform to track proper disposal and curb illegal dumping.

Awad also instructed coordination with the Housing Ministry and the Industrial Development Authority to set aside designated areas in new urban communities and industrial zones for C&D waste.

To tackle agricultural pollution, the board endorsed reducing licence fees for rice straw collection, encouraging contractors to continue gathering crop residues instead of burning them in open fields.

Such burning has long been blamed for Cairo’s annual “black cloud” of smog. The decision will be coupled with data integration with the agriculture and planning ministries to improve oversight.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the “Port Said Initiative,” a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded pilot project that reduces waste generation with a special focus on plastics. The board recommended replicating it across other governorates.

These measures build on a series of past efforts by Egypt to combat pollution. In recent years, the government has launched initiatives to phase out single-use plastics in coastal governorates, expand clean public transport, and improve air quality monitoring.

The Ministry of Environment has also led campaigns to recycle rice straw into furniture, animal feed, and biofuel, while Cairo’s metro expansion and electric bus trials form part of a wider clean mobility push.

Egypt also highlighted its environmental commitments on the global stage when it hosted COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2022, where it pledged stronger climate and pollution controls.

“By strengthening regulations, embracing digitalization, and incentivizing sustainable practices, Egypt is building on its previous successes to accelerate progress toward a cleaner, more resilient environment,” Awad said.

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