SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Egypt is implementing a plan to transform its museums and archaeological sites into green sites that rely on solar energy as a sustainable alternative, an Egyptian official told Xinhua at the ongoing UN climate change conference.
Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that "using green energy is more economically feasible than electricity and contributes to preserving, protecting and rehabilitating cultural heritage of all kinds."
Waziri said that the SCA signed a framework memorandum of understanding to transform museums and Egyptian World Heritage sites into green sites using solar energy with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Egypt's Industrial Modernization Center (IMC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
The memorandum aims to "introduce solar energy in an initiative towards sustainable green archaeological sites, and in line with the country's Egypt 2030 sustainable development strategy," Waziri added.
The memorandum involves multiple areas of cooperation, such as installing small solar power stations in cultural heritage sites and museums, Waziri revealed.
Waziri stressed the keenness of the Egyptian government to pay attention to all archaeological sites and protect them from climate change.
"Climate change has many negative effects on the archeological sites and monuments, for example, the rise in the level of the Mediterranean water near the Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria pushed us to build wave blocks to protect this archaeological structure from erosion," Waziri affirmed.
He added that SCA is restoring flood drains and dams built by ancient Egyptians in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of Queens in Luxor, which functioned to divert torrential rain and flood away from the cemeteries in those valleys but were impacted by climate change and erosion factors.
"We also strengthen the patterns and colors in many archaeological sites to protect them from climate change and high temperatures. We started these procedures years ago because we were aware of this danger," Waziri revealed. ■
