Sharm Al-Sheikh International Airport - Environmental Impact Assessment

Sharm Al-Sheikh International Airport – Environmental Impact Assessment

Project Description

EHCAAN decided to extend the existing Sharm El Sheikh Airport and build a new terminal. The World Bank has expressed interest to finance the project. This necessitates implementing the WB procedures in conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The project was started in the year 2003 with the aim to identify the main environmental issues that the project will entail and subsequently providing recommendations for mitigating their impacts in the most cost effective manner. Another objective of the EIA was to clarify the past and future environmental liabilities of the project in order to provide appropriate grounds for defining respective responsibilities of the stakeholders.

The proposed development project included physical environment, biological environment, socio-cultural environment (comprising both present and projected); legislative and regulatory considerations; determination of the potential impacts of the proposed project comprising noise impact, tourist environmental impact, water quality, cultural resources, biological resources, energy use, solid and hazardous waste, vehicular traffic and access to the airport, erosion and sediment, social impact, socio-economic impact; analysis of alternatives to the proposed project; development of management plan to mitigate negative impacts; identification of the institutional needs to implement environmental assessment recommendations; development of a monitoring plan and assisting in inter-agency coordination and public/NGO participation.