Egypt recorded a significant decline in open burning incidents to 1,116 points during autumn 2025, compared to 3,490 the previous year, while rice straw collection rose to 2.7 million tonnes. Minister Manal Awad presented a report on measures to combat air pollution at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Efforts included enforcement, waste collection, and monitoring of industrial and vehicle emissions.
Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, presented a report on Wednesday detailing measures to combat acute air pollution, locally known as the "black cloud," at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. The report covered the period from September 1 to November 3, 2025.
Open burning incidents of agricultural waste dropped to 1,116 points, compared to 3,490 the previous year. The government filed 781 violation reports for such burnings. Authorities removed 342 random charcoal kilns and closed 12 developed ones. Rice straw collection volume increased from 2.1 million tonnes to 2.7 million tonnes, supported by expanding collection sites to 655 from 398, and boosting equipment like balers and tractors to 125 from 73. The Waste Management Regulation Agency issued 107 licenses for agricultural waste collection and transport.
For monitoring, the ministry set up 69 axes and evening patrol committees to inspect agricultural lands daily in coordination with agricultural directorates. On industrial emissions, the national monitoring network detected 198 violations of maximum limits. Inspections of 108 facilities in Greater Cairo's industrial zones resulted in recommendations for environmental compliance plans, and decisions to suspend small and medium-sized polluting industries during peak pollution periods.
Vehicle emissions were addressed through 168 inspection campaigns in Greater Cairo and 155 in the Delta and Assiut governorates. Additionally, 1,078 public transport buses in Greater Cairo were inspected. Awareness efforts comprised 198 seminars and 1,100 campaigns educating farmers on the risks of burning straw and corn stalks, promoting their use as feed and organic fertilizer instead.
