Visibility of GEO-CRADLE in the region to implement key EO-related activities and attract EO-stakeholders
The Regional Coordinator (RC) of the Middle East North Africa Prof. Hesham El-Askary of Chapman University (USA), has had important contribution in the dissemination of the project in Egypt towards implementation of GEO and Copernicus in the region in relation to climate change and energy.
Specifically, the RC had a meeting with her Excellency Mrs. Nabila Makram, Minister of Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs as well as His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy. This meeting took place in the presence of Engineer Osama Aly Asran, Deputy Minister, Mr. Gamal Abdel Rahim Yaseen Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, and Dr. Mohamed Salah Sobky Head of the Renewable Energy Authority, as well as a number of leaders of the Ministry of Electricity.

In this meeting the RC presented two of the thematic priority areas addressed by GEO-CRADLE related to climate change and energy; focusing on the extreme weather events and the impact of climatic factors on renewable energy. He explained the continuous temperature increase and climate projections by 2100 resulting in more dryness and lack of cohesion of the soil and as such the frequent dust storms occurrence in the region and how this can impact the optimum harness of solar radiation. In that context, the vision of GEO-CRADLE project was shared in terms of goals and deliverables where a pilot activity will be done through the project to highlights the importance of renewables and provide a number of priority parameters with respect to solar energy potential.

This pilot will present a complex and highly variable climatology, in terms of clouds and aerosol patterns that directly affect sunlight over Egypt. This proposed deliverable through GEO-CRADLE was highly encouraged and commended in the meeting that took place in Egypt. The Ministry expressed strong interest in providing support to the GEO-CRADLE project (e.g. by providing a dynamic solar Atlas showing a variable Solar Map of Egypt) that will facilitate the decision makers and determine the best practices in support to the renewable solar energy setup at regional level, for the benefit of the wider South-East Mediterranean region.
GEO-CRALE project will include remote sensing techniques and satellite imagery in order to determine the active dust sources and trends to recommend the best places where renewable energy plants can be setup. That was the subject of a television interview that the RC gave and was highly viewed in Egypt at different levels where many press releases were issued in major newspapers and major online outlets such as El-Wafd, Sada El Balad, ElFagr, Akhbarelyom, Almasryalyoum, Alyoum7. The RC was interviewed on Sada El Balad newspaper and was also hosted twice on national television and a private channel explaining the objectives and the scopes of GEO-CRADLE’s project.