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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In the leafy east Cairo neighborhood of Maadi, new roads and bridges threaten centuries-old trees, August 2, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Most of the public garden in front of Abdeen Palace, a royal residence turned museum and presidential base, was razed last year to make way for this outdoor food court in Cairo, August 7, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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In recent years, Egypt has intensified its urban infrastructure campaign to combat the city’s hazardous congestion, by building its new administrative capital, a sprawling multibillion-dollar city in the desert east of Cairo, August 7, 2022. (Hamada Elras
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“It’s not only about cutting down trees in one area and replanting them in another,” says Alseidi, the environmental lawyer. “Because older trees don’t rely on irrigation water like new ones do” in Cairo’s new capital, August 7, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA
