Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Monday directed authorities to remove any financial or technical obstacles delaying the completion of the country’s coastal protection projects, citing the urgent need to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The directive was issued during a meeting to review the implementation status of projects overseen by the Egyptian General Authority for Shore Protection. Madbouly said President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has called for close monitoring of these projects due to the increasing risks posed by global climate change.

Madbouly noted that the government is working to secure sustainable financing to ensure the projects achieve their intended objectives. He also urged officials to address delays resulting from funding constraints or shortcomings in the performance of executing companies.

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam outlined progress on the first phase of the Alexandria coastal protection project, which extends 4.4 kilometres from Bir Masoud to Al-Mahrousa. The project is being implemented alongside the expansion of the city’s Corniche road and includes the construction of two submerged barriers with a combined length of 1,600 metres.

Sewilam said that 270 metres of the eastern barrier have been completed, while the remaining 230 metres are expected to be finished in the coming months. The 800-metre western barrier is scheduled for completion by mid-year. The project also includes beach nourishment works across a 30-metre width along a two-kilometre stretch of coastline.

In Damietta, the ministry is carrying out dredging operations southwest of the Boghaz Muthalath Al-Deeba as part of the second phase of the Manzala Lake development project.

The works include dredging the western channel to a base width of 40 metres and an adjacent area spanning 200 metres. Dredged materials are being used to reinforce 3.5 kilometres of shallow coastal areas east of the Ezbet El-Borg sea wall.

The meeting also reviewed the first phase of the Ashtoum El Gamil project in Port Said, which focuses on protecting and dredging the lake’s inlets. Sewilam said the project aims to improve water quality and support fish stocks in Manzala Lake.

The meeting was attended by the ministers of planning and economic development, water resources and irrigation, local development, and finance, as well as representatives of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority.