Egypt hosted an introductory workshop for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on Monday, underscoring its efforts to strengthen the role of Global South scientists in producing climate knowledge and informing evidence-based policymaking. The event was opened by Acting Minister of Environment Manal Awad as part of Egypt's push to develop its national adaptation plan, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund.
The workshop was attended by Bart Vanden Hurk, co-chair of IPCC Working Group II, UNDP Resident Representative Chitose Noguchi, along with scientists, climate experts, and government officials. Awad stated that hosting the event reflects Egypt's belief that science must underpin policymaking and that research should be closely tied to public policy outcomes. She emphasized that developing countries should actively contribute to global climate knowledge production rather than passively receiving external assessments.
She highlighted Egypt's initiatives to increase the involvement of Arab, African, and Global South scientists in IPCC assessment processes as authors and reviewers, which helps bridge data gaps and research capacities, ensuring climate policies better address the realities of vulnerable regions. According to Awad, Egypt's national adaptation plan prioritizes building scientific capacity, advancing climate research, and deploying technology, aligning with the country's Climate Change Strategy 2050 and Egypt Vision 2030.
Vanden Hurk noted that the IPCC's urban-focused work examines climate impacts like rising temperatures, flooding, and sandstorms, with new assessment reports due in March 2027. Noguchi commended Egypt's advances in climate adaptation and stressed the need to pair policy measures with sufficient financing to safeguard vulnerable sectors. She mentioned that UNDP-backed projects have funded the protection of about 1,200 kilometers of Egypt's Mediterranean coastline, with additional support planned for Damietta governorate through French funding.