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Egypt Inaugurates New Strategy with World Bank  

Ferid Belhaj, the Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank Group, (right), and Egypt’s International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat (left).
Ferid Belhaj, the Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank Group, (right), and Egypt’s International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat (left).
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Egypt Inaugurates New Strategy with World Bank  

Ferid Belhaj, the Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank Group, (right), and Egypt’s International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat (left).
Ferid Belhaj, the Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank Group, (right), and Egypt’s International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat (left).

Ferid Belhaj, the Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa region at the World Bank Group, stressed that the World Bank has confidence in the Egyptian economy.

On the sidelines of the launch of the Country Partnership Framework between Egypt and the World Bank Belhaj said the new framework supports the state’s development needs and focuses granting opportunities to the private sector, the green economy, and women empowerment in the economy.

Held on Sunday, the launch was attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Asharq Al-Awsat.

The new partnership between Egypt and the World Bank for 2023-2027 supports future cooperation programs and projects.

It was approved on March 21 by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group, in order to support efforts to achieve comprehensive and sustainable growth, based on national priorities in various sectors and the development vision over the next five years.

The partnership with the Bank is consistent with the Egyptian government strategy for sustainable development and Egypt's Vision 2030, and its National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS) 2050.

The partnership aims to support Cairo in building innovative paths and sustainable solutions to address development challenges in various sectors, foremost among which is the eradication of poverty, the promotion of comprehensive prosperity for all segments of society, and the creation of conditions conducive to achieving comprehensive, sustainable and resilient green development.

The new CPF places the citizen at the core by striving to achieve three main objectives, which are more and better private sector jobs, reinforcing investment in human capital, as well as improving resilience to shocks.

International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat held a meeting with Belhaj on the sidelines of the event.

She stressed the strong ties between Egypt and World Bank and underscored the Egyptian state's keenness on opening new prospects through this new strategy and focusing on cooperation fields of priority to the state.

The minister noted that this new strategy is being launched at a significant time amid the international and regional challenges facing developing countries and emerging economies.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is funding 15 projects valued at $7.33 billion across various sectors in Egypt. They include social protection, health, nutrition, population, education, environment, food security, and urban development.

Egypt and the World Bank have partnered up to implement several projects, including support to entrepreneurs and SMEs and tackling air pollution and climate change in Greater Cairo and local development in Upper Egypt.

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Business

Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."