Youths can play role in containing air pollution - minister

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Mon, 13 Aug 2018 - 01:07 GMT

BY

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 - 01:07 GMT

Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad during a Cairo Climate Talks event on May 2, 2017 - Photo Courtesy of Cairo Climate Talks

Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad during a Cairo Climate Talks event on May 2, 2017 - Photo Courtesy of Cairo Climate Talks

CAIRO - 13 August 2018: Environment Minister Yassmin Fouad called on Monday for encouraging youths to come with innovative solutions to agricultural waste disposal in order to contain air pollution.

In this regard, the minister, speaking at a press conference, said there are 19 projects that are being examined thoroughly in cooperation with the Investment Ministry to enhance youths' role in the environmental field.

She said the ministry is keen to contain emissions resulting from industrial facilities in a way that preserves the environment and at the same time does not affect work in these facilities.

The press conference was held to address measures taken by the Environment Ministry to face up to the "black cloud" phenomenon which occurs after the rice harvest each autumn, when thick layers of smog stemming from burning rice straw start looming over Cairo and the Nile valley for several weeks posing risk to public health especially to people suffering from respiratory problems and allergies.

Challenges are not easy though the quantities of rice cultivated this year are less than previous years but there are other factors causing air pollution, Fouad said, citing spontaneous combustion of landfills and emissions stemming from industrial facilities and vehicle exhaust.

She unveiled new measures to be applied all through the year and not just in autumn to reduce air pollutants.

Among these measures is keeping a close eye, in coordination with different governorates, on random rubbish dumps for rapid intervention in case of any fire in addition to finding innovative solutions, with youths' involvement, to get rid of agricultural waste, the minister said.

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