Last updated: November 2024
Alexandria is one of the vulnerable cities facing climate change (1). From rising sea levels, pollution, extreme rise and fall in temperature and the urban heat island effect, Alexandria is battling significant challenges (1). The city is also worldly renowned for it beaches and gardens that act as the lungs through which the city breathes, and are considered a haven for its people (1). Unfortunately, in the last ten years, there has been a decrease in parks and green areas, which is a cause for concern (1). This shrinkage comes at the expense of urban expansion and the establishment of Commercial and profitable projects, which is a challenge facing the environmental balance and cultural heritage of the city (1). To address the nature of the challenges and climate changes and their effects in Egypt, the president launched the "The 100 Million Trees Initiative" was brought into action in 2022 as part of the Egypt 2030 Vision (2-3). The campaign is meant to double the per capita share of green spaces across the country, improve air quality and people’s health, and reduce greenhouse gases. It will also aim to recoup economic benefits from the trees, including wood and olive oil (3). As part of this initiative, the governor of Alexandria was tasked with taking care of the green spaces and improving the aesthetic and civilizational level, within the scope of Alexandria's neighborhoods and centers (4). In 2023, the gardens department carried out the planting of 812 trees and shrubs of various types within the scope of Al-Muntazah 2 Neighborhood during Week 25 to continue the work of the presidential initiative to plant 100 million trees in the governorate's neighborhoods (4).
Lifting the efficiency of the park gardens.
Al-Zaghbi, A.
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Institutional green space
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Improving physical health
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood climate adaptation or mitigation strategies/programs, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood green and blue infrastrcuture protection or enhancement strategies/plans
Project objectives
The goals of the project as part of the 100 Million Trees Presidential Initiative was to:
1. Increase green spaces and plant fruit trees in all neighborhoods to reduce environmental pollution and be a natural outlet for citizens (4).
2. Double the per capita share of green space, improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gases, reducing the urban heat island effect and achieving the maximum economic benefit from trees and improving the general health of citizens (2).
3. Provide green space to encourage social activities, recreation, interactions, such as sports, reading, playing, entertainment and other practices within the public domain (1).
Implementation activities
In the last ten years, there has been a decrease in parks and green areas in Alexandria, which is a cause for concern (1). This shrinkage comes at the expense of urban expansion which is a challenge facing the environmental balance and cultural heritage of the city (1). To address the lack of urban green space the city has engaged in various activities such as:
Egypt has made strides in environmental improvement through the implementation of the 100 Million Trees Presidential Initiative. For the fiscal year 2023/2024, the Ministry of Local Development allocated EGP 98 million to plant three million trees across the country, supporting a vision of greener cities and sustainable urban spaces. This initiative goes beyond simple planting by focusing on beautifying public squares and parks, expanding the number of fruit trees, planting along main roads, and upgrading the central islands on major city axes. For instance, within the Montazah Thani neighborhood alone, 812 trees and shrubs were planted in Week 25, adding to a growing network of green spaces designed to benefit Egypt’s urban landscape and contribute to ecological health. (2-4, 7)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Coastal communities, Urban heat islands
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
National government: The project is part of the 100 Million Trees initiate which was brought into action by the Egyptian Government (1-4). The Ministry of Local Development allocated the funds to support the implementation of the initiative (7). The Ministry of the Environment is mostly responsible for the initiative and has identified the types of trees that are planted in the 100 Million Trees Initiative, starting with being crops of economic return (2).
Local government/municipality: : As part of the initiative the Governor of Alexandria, is responsible o take care of the green spaces and improve the aesthetic and civilizational level, within the scope of Alexandria's neighborhoods and centers (4). The General Administration of Central Parks has been directed to plant and upgrade the squares and all public parks, in addition to increasing the number of fruit trees, planting main roads, and upgrading the efficiency of the central islands on the main axes through the initiative (4)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The planting is a part of the 100 Million Trees Presidential Initiative under Egypts 2030 Vision (2-3). )
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(This project comes within the framework of the directives of Major General Mohamed El Sherif, Governor of Alexandria, to take care of the green spaces and improve the aesthetic and civilizational level, within the scope of Alexandria's neighborhoods and centers (4).)
Type of enablers
Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public national budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Reduced emissions
- Expected reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Generation of income from NBS
- Expected generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
The City for Humanities and Social Research (2024). What development has done to green Alexandria City Gardens. [Source link];
2.
State Information Service (2022). 100 Million Trees Initiative. [Source link];
3.
Bakr, M. (2022). Egypt is planting 100 million trees nationwide to improve air quality and protect people’s health. [Source link];
4.
Al-Zaghbi, A. (2023). رفع كفاءة حدائق السيوف بالمنتزة ضمن مبادرة" 100 مليون شجرة "بالإسكندرية. [Source link];
5.
City Population (n.d.). Al-Iskandariyah Governorate. [Source link];
6.
El-Hattab, M., Mohamed, S., Raey, M. (2018). Assesses the Resilience Index to Sea Level Rise Risk of Alexandria Governorate, Egypt. [Source link];
7.
State Information Service (2024). Egypt allocates EGP98 million to plant 3 million trees nationwide. [Source link];
8.
Egypt Today staff (2022). gyptian ministry reveals progress rate of '100 Million Trees' initiative. [Source link];
Part of the work to raise the efficiency of the park gardens
Al-Zaghbi, A.
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.