14,000 tons. That is the official estimate amount of daily waste produced in the mega-city of Cairo. But the city authorities cannot cope with the amount thus creating a serious waste management problem. Consequently, Cairo relies heavily on informal waste collectors although they are not contracted by official authorities. There are six Zabaleen communities located…
According to the Air Pollution Early Warning System Unit of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), the “black cloud” season is underway. Yesterday’s EEAA daily pollution forecast report revealed indications of the start of the season. The “black cloud” first appeared in the autumn of 1999 and has been an annual phenomenon ever since. It…
Last week the American University in Cairo hosted a conference to launch the WinWin Initiative as part of the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s efforts to promote activities which observe both human and environmental interests in the sustainable development process. The conference, titled “Exploring Win-Win Strategies for Sustainable Local Development: A MENA Initiative on Poverty-Environment Mainstreaming,” was…
CAIRO: It seems that the Black Cloud phenomenon has become, not only part of our yearly rituals, but of our daily lives. The first time the Black Cloud appeared was in the autumn of 1999 and it’s been a recurrent phenomenon ever since. Breaking down the scientific factors causing it would be the first steps towards…
Hoda Baraka explores the power of the individual in the bid to address the problems plaguing the environment. We hear all the time about how environmental catastrophes, such as global warming, are lurking and are set to overshadow our future aspirations for a sustainable and more stable world. In some ways there seems to be a…
Hoda Baraka 