The OSS Executive Secretary pays an official visit to Egypt: Strengthening partnerships for optimal regional action

Looking ahead to a consolidated regional cooperation and a renewed commitment to sustainable development, Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, Executive Secretary of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), was received by His Excellency Mr. Alaa Farouk, Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and Chairman of the OSS Executive Board, with the presence of Dr. Hosam Shawky, President of the Desert Research Center (DRC) and Dr. Sami Abou Ragab, OSS focal point in Egypt.

Discussions focused on the OSS main achievements and strategic prospects, including the inauguration of the new OSS headquarters in the presence of the Egyptian Ambassador to Tunisia, marking a new milestone in the history of the Organization, the OSS active participation in international events such as COP28 on climate in the United Arab Emirates and COP16 on combating desertification in Riyadh, as well as its crucial role in mobilizing funding and implementing structuring projects for its member countries.

The Egyptian Minister reaffirmed the importance of the OSS role, emphasizing the intensification of cooperation with international institutions to support efforts to combat desertification and adapt to climate change. He particularly highlighted the challenges related to water scarcity and food security, and called for the expansion of regional projects and the dissemination of results to member countries.

Exchanges highlighted opportunities for strengthening cooperation between the OSS and Egypt, particularly through the "Adaptation to climate change for improving livelihoods in the Siwa Oasis" project, which aims to improve the living conditions of small farmers and reinforce their resilience to climate change.

Mr. Ben Khatra presented the GMES&Africa project accomplishments, which develops innovative tools for the sustainable management of natural resources, and highlighted the following digital platforms: Misland: a soil degradation and desertification monitoring tool, Misbar: a platform for improving natural resources management, GuetCrop: an early warning system for agricultural crops, and Saqiya: a mobile application dedicated to optimizing irrigation and water consumption, which were all designed to support agricultural and environmental stakeholders in North Africa.

One of the key points discussed during this meeting was the organization of the OSS Executive Board and General Assembly in April 2025 in Tunis, where strategic decisions will be taken to optimize the Organization's action in its member countries.

Dr. Sami Abou Ragab announced the creation of an Information Center within the Desert Research Center, dedicated to supporting sustainable agricultural development in Egypt within the framework of the GMES&Africa project. This initiative will improve the dissemination of good practices and the use of technological tools for more resilient management of natural resources.

This visit made it possible to identify opportunities to consolidate the OSS-Egypt cooperation and to outline concrete prospects for the future. Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra reaffirmed the OSS commitment to supporting its member countries in implementing innovative and sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, with an emphasis on collective intelligence and the mobilization of resources to optimize the impact of the actions taken.