The following article is part of Al-Masry Al Youm's weekly 'Environmental Voices' series, in which issues related to the environment–whether local, regional or international in nature–are discussed from the point of view of environmental experts.
Should we finally listen to science? This question was inevitably raised as I saw young people roll up their sleeves with excitement and optimism the morning after the fall of Egypt’s former regime, as they began searching for ways to help rebuild our nation. In consulting the literature that might serve as a starting point, I found the best inspiration in what seemed like another generation of scientific papers collecting dust on my bookshelf.
The proceedings of the Future Intermediate Sustainable Cities conference, held in Egypt last November and chaired by Ahmed Rashed of the British University in Egypt, was where I found a solid starting point. The document is an immense compilation of the latest things our Egyptian scientists have had to say about sustainable, environmentally- and socially-conscious development of our cities and the conservation of their cultural and natural heritage. Today, such work has become more relevant than ever.
Us young people, we don’t need to re-invent the wheel, but to rather truly innovate. We need to “climb on the shoulders of giants,” to see further, as Einstein put it. One of our giants participating at the conference was Farouk El-Baaz, for example, Egypt’s renowned scientist who has long been lobbying for a proposed “Developmental Corridor” in the Western Desert. Needless to say, the study is backed up by extensive scientific research on the enabling conditions for the sustainable growth of the nation.
In his paper, El-Baaz reminds us of the cornerstones of his project: a 2000-km strip running parallel to the Nile carefully planned to become a fertile platform for the growth of our industrial, commercial, agricultural and tourism sectors.
But there are also countless, equally talented and faithful Egyptian minds already out there–and even more in the making. As we zoom in from the remote sensing satellites that El Baaz masters to the individual streets, buildings and livelihoods that other researchers have explored, we gain true appreciation of the cross-disciplinary capabilities of our researchers.
The conference papers, many by as-yet-unknown Egyptian names, include exciting titles such as: 'Land Suitability Analysis of Urban Green Areas: The case of El-Sadat City'; 'An Introduction to the Role of Public Parks in Enhancing the Quality of Human Life in Egyptian Urban Environments'; 'Study on the Visual Performance of a Vernacular Dwelling in Egypt'; 'Theoretical Analysis of the Gentrification Phenomenon in Egyptian Cities'; 'Greening the Built Heritage and its Economic Impact'; 'Sustainable Desert Development for Our Future Generations'; 'Migration for Development: The Case of New Basaisa, Sinai,' in addition to many other research works on renewable energy, water and energy conservation, and other topics relevant to Egypt’s sustainable development, both theoretical and applied.
There is indeed a lot of work that has been done by researchers from the universities of Upper Egypt, such as Mansura and Assiut, to those of Cairo and Alexandria, and from the American, British, and German Universities in our capital city, to our many Egyptian researchers and innovators abroad, sprinkled at prestigious institutions everywhere, relentlessly thriving in their respective disciplines, with Egypt always in mind.
Much has already been done, in the most professional manner, to explore our paths for sustainable development. Now it is our duty to go through the trouble of educating ourselves and appreciating the work of our scientists and researchers who deserve much more attention today than ever before.
So it is indeed time to listen. And if I also roll up my sleeves in excitement, it is because there are many Egyptian shoulders that I plan climb on.
