As Egypt prepares to host the United Nations climate summit in November, critics say current construction practices do not reflect the country's sustainability goals. Thousands of trees and green spaces have been razed to make way for new national development projects, particularly those related to the giant new capital city being built on the outskirts of Cairo. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam has the story, with words by Elle Kurancid.
Cairo Construction Razes Green Spaces Ahead of Climate Summit
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The World Bank says “Air pollution is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, especially affecting poorer people,” costing the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region around $141 billion per year, in Cairo, August 7, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
![Environmental lawyer Ahmed Alseidi says, “In 2019, the government started expanding its urban development projects [in the capital] without conducting environmental assessments on the impact of cutting down trees” in Cairo, July 27, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/](https://gdb.voanews.com/01a10000-0aff-0242-1967-08da7a314c6b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Environmental lawyer Ahmed Alseidi says, “In 2019, the government started expanding its urban development projects [in the capital] without conducting environmental assessments on the impact of cutting down trees” in Cairo, July 27, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/
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In Orman Garden, near Cairo University, botany professor Rim Hamdy says, “Trees help people with rising temperatures and pollution while preserving the environmental balance by hosting birds, fungi, bacteria, insects, and invertebrate animals.” Cairo, Jul
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“Let’s agree that trees are life,” says professor Hamdy. “They provide shade and shelter, purify the air, and protect us from greenhouse gases, including the harmful effects of car exhaust, smog, and extreme heat,” in Cairo, August 6, 2022. (Hamada Elrasa
