Egypt reports sharp drop in waste burning incidents during autumn 2025

EGYPT – Egypt has recorded a sharp decline in open waste burning incidents during the autumn of 2025, signalling progress in its long-running fight against seasonal air pollution known locally as the “black cloud,” the government said this week.

Presenting a report to a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment Manal Awad said open burning incidents fell to 1,116 points between September 1 and November 3, down from 3,490 recorded during the same period last year.

Over the same timeframe, the collection of rice straw increased significantly to 2.7 million tonnes, compared to 2.1 million tonnes the previous year.

Awad said the results reflected a combination of stricter enforcement, expanded infrastructure and increased farmer engagement.

Authorities filed 781 violation reports related to the burning of agricultural waste, while enforcement actions against other pollution sources included the removal of 342 unregulated charcoal kilns and the closure of 12 developed kilns found to be non-compliant.

Rice straw management was a key focus of the campaign. Collection sites increased to 655 from 398 a year earlier, supported by an expanded fleet of balers, tractors and other equipment, which rose to 125 units from 73.

In parallel, the Waste Management Regulation Agency issued 107 licences for agricultural waste collection and transport, helping to formalize the sector and reduce illegal disposal.

To ensure compliance on the ground, the ministry established 69 monitoring axes and evening patrol committees, which carried out daily inspections of agricultural lands in coordination with local agricultural directorates.

Industrial and transport-related emissions were also targeted. The national air quality monitoring network detected 198 violations of maximum emission limits, prompting inspections of 108 facilities in Greater Cairo’s industrial zones and recommendations for corrective environmental compliance plans.

Authorities also suspended operations at several small and medium-sized polluting industries during peak pollution periods.

Vehicle emissions checks were stepped up, with 168 inspection campaigns conducted across Greater Cairo and a further 155 in the Delta and Assiut governorates.

In addition, 1,078 public transport buses operating in Greater Cairo were inspected for compliance.

Awad said awareness campaigns played a complementary role, with 198 seminars and more than 1,100 outreach campaigns held to educate farmers on the health and environmental risks of burning rice straw and corn stalks, while promoting their reuse as animal feed or organic fertilizer.

The announcement comes as Egypt continues to scale up waste management and air quality reforms under its broader environmental strategy.

In recent months, the government has expanded municipal solid waste contracts, promoted waste-to-energy projects and tightened industrial emissions standards, reflecting a growing policy push to address pollution hotspots and improve urban air quality across the country.

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