UN Tags Upper Egypt Development Program for Best Sustainable Practices

The United Nations (UN) has listed the Upper Egypt Local Development Program (UELDP) on its platform for the ‘Best Practices that Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.

Set up by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the platform seeks to showcase success stories and to reflect the state of progress within its Decade of Action as governments, international organisations, and other stakeholders work to achieve the ambitious SDGs. These 17 development goals include eradicating poverty, achieving gender equality, and taking action against the devastating causes and effects of climate change.

The wide scope of the UELDP aims to improve living standards for citizens in Upper Egypt, to provide decent services, and to implement projects throughout the region, especially in the governorates of Sohag and Qena.

Overall, the UELDP reached several goals such as building connectivity and transportation infrastructure through 288 km of roads, creating industrial zones, establishing 232 km of drinking water networks, and upgrading 9.5 km of irrigation canals. The programme also installed 11,200 lighting poles, 287 km of insulated wires and ground lines, and 27 firefighting units in a project that spanned across 138 villages.

At least 50% of the 5 million beneficiaries of the programme were women, and it was estimated that poverty subsequently decreased by 3.8% in rural Upper Egypt. It was hailed as an example of coordination and integration between state institutions and ministries.

Alongside the UELDP, the Rowad 2030 Project and the Integrated System of Investment Plan Preparation and Monitoring (ISIPPM) were also identified on the best practices platform.