Chitose Noguchi, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt 
ERSI Inception Workshop – 7 June, Hurghada 

Your Excellency Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Environment, 
Your Excellency Dr. Waleed Abdel Azim Ibrahim El-Barqy, Governor of the Red Sea, 
Eng. Sherif Abdel Rehim, Chief Executive Officer of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, 
Distinguished representatives of the Government of Egypt, 
Esteemed partners, colleagues, and friends, 

Good morning. 

It is a great pleasure to be with you today in Hurghada as we launch the Egyptian Red Sea Initiative --a landmark effort to protect one of Egypt’s most valuable natural assets while advancing sustainable development and economic resilience. It is particularly meaningful that this launch is taking place on the sidelines of World Environment Day, a moment that reminds us that protecting nature is not only an environmental responsibility, but a foundation for human wellbeing, economic resilience, and sustainable development. 

Allow me first to express UNDP’s sincere appreciation to the Government of Egypt for its leadership and partnership, particularly the Ministry of Local Development and Environment, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and the Red Sea Governorate. I would also like to recognize the Global Fund for Coral Reefs for its important support, and all our national, local, private sector, civil society, and technical partners who are joining us today. 

The Egyptian Red Sea Initiative is, first and foremost, a nationally led initiative. It reflects Egypt’s commitment to protecting one of its most valuable natural assets while supporting sustainable development, local livelihoods, and responsible economic growth. 

At the heart of this initiative is a simple but critical principle: protecting coral reefs and advancing economic development are not competing priorities—they are mutually reinforcing. 

The future of tourism, jobs, investment, and local livelihoods in the Red Sea depends on the health of the ecosystems that sustain them. 

The Red Sea’s coral reefs are among Egypt’s most valuable natural assets. They support tourism, provide livelihoods, protect coastal communities, and form part of Egypt’s natural heritage. Their value is ecological, but also social and economic. Protecting them is therefore not separate from development -- it is fundamental to sustainable tourism, resilient local economies, climate adaptation, and long-term prosperity. 

The scale of this natural asset is significant. Egypt’s Red Sea coastline contains approximately 3,800 sq. km. of highly diverse coral reef ecosystems. ERSI focuses on a priority coastal and marine landscape, extending from the Northern Red Sea Islands Protectorate near Hurghada to the southern border of Wadi El Gemal National Park, with a total programme reef area of around 900 sq. Km targeted for increased protection, practical management and sustainable financing. 

This is why ERSI is so important.  

Through this initiative, we aim to support a model for nature-positive development, where conservation and development reinforce one another;  

where protecting nature creates opportunities for communities;  

where responsible tourism and private sector engagement contribute to long-term stewardship;  

 And where sustainable finance can help ensure conservation efforts continue beyond the life of a single project. 

UNDP is proud to support Egypt in this journey. 

Our role is to help connect national priorities with practical implementation on the ground. This means bringing together policy, finance, technical expertise, innovation, and partnerships that can deliver measurable results. 

Because protecting coral reefs is not the responsibility of any one institution. It requires coordinated action across government, communities, civil society, and the private sector. 

ERSI combines two essential priorities: strengthening coral reef conservation and mobilizing sustainable finance for nature. Through improved reef management, reef-positive investments, enterprise support, and innovative financing mechanisms, the initiative seeks to create a sustainable model that links conservation outcomes with long-term economic opportunities. 

This combination is essential. Conservation requires financing, and financing must deliver measurable conservation outcomes. 

ERSI brings these two sides together.  

We also know that public resources and donor funding alone will not be enough to protect coral reefs at the scale required. Long-term protection will require new partnerships and new financing models that can mobilize public, private, and philanthropic capital. Through ERSI, we have an opportunity to build such a platform for Egypt’s Red Sea. 

But finance and institutions are only part of the story. 

People are at the heart of this initiative. Local communities, tourism operators, MSMEs, investors, and entrepreneurs all have a stake in the future of the Red Sea. 

When reefs thrive, communities thrive. Protecting these ecosystems ultimately means protecting livelihoods, opportunities, and future generations. 

For UNDP, success will mean healthier reefs, stronger local economies, empowered communities, and sustainable financing that continues to deliver impact long after the project has ended. 

Today’s workshop is therefore more than a formal launch of a project. 

 It is an opportunity to align around a shared vision, clarify priorities, and begin moving together from design to implementation. 

On behalf of UNDP, I would like to reaffirm our commitment to standing with the Government of Egypt, the Red Sea Governorate, EEAA, GFCR, and all partners as ERSI moves forward. 

Thank you, and I wish us all a productive and inspiring workshop.