As part of the collaboration between the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) and the Egyptian Sustainable Development Forum (ESDF), the Local Sustainable Development Forum in Suez Governorate held a dialogue session on mechanisms to enhance the role of civil society in strengthening community resilience. This session is part of a series of meetings organized by local sustainable development forums across various governorates, aiming to raise awareness and build capacities on integrating and localizing sustainability dimensions within local development strategies and programs.

The meeting, held at the Suez Engineers Syndicate headquarters, brought together a group of experts and representatives from key stakeholders, including Eng. Mohamed El-Qurashi, Head of the Central Administration of the Environmental Affairs Agency for the Suez and Sinai Branch; Eng. Hafez Awad, Head of the Engineers Syndicate in Suez; and Eng. Ibrahim El-Ghazouli, Environmental Affairs Advisor to the Governor. Also in attendance were representatives from the National Council for Women, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, the Regional Union of NGOs, and the Suez Tourism Promotion Authority.

The discussions centered on several key priority issues, including solid and agricultural waste management, climate change and their impact on various sectors. The session also highlighted pressing environmental concerns, such as pollution from single-use plastic waste and the use of mercury-containing dental amalgam fillings, emphasizing their effects on public health and the environment. Participants explored the roles and efforts of civil society organizations in addressing these challenges.

The meeting concluded with several important recommendations, which will be incorporated into the Local Sustainable Development Forum’s action plan for Suez Governorate. These recommendations emphasized the necessity of collective efforts to develop a unified vision for enhancing community resilience, as well as the importance of strengthening networking and coordination mechanisms between the public, private and civil society sectors to mitigate the impact of environmental risks and disasters.

The Local Sustainable Development Forums Initiative, which is being implemented across governorates under the patronage of the Ministries of Environment and Social Solidarity, was launched as one of the outcomes of the “Our Country Hosts COP-27” Initiative, spearheaded by the Arab Office for Youth and Environment (AOYE). This initiative was part of Egypt’s preparations for hosting the 27^th  UN Climate Change Conference (COP-27) in Sharm El-Sheikh in late 2022.