settings that we need to be acutely aware of as we go forward. MR. BURRETT: Okay. Can we have the next comment. QUESTION [Abdelmawla On a decision for collective rights, I will Ismail, Egyptian Association for Collective Rights]: speak Arabic. [Interpreted from Arabic.] What I would like to focus on in my talk is that you know very well that land and water resources--what I would like to focus on in my presentation is that you all know that land and water resources are considered to be very rare, and the people who number about 80 million people depend on it for their production of foodstuff. Unfortunately, most of the World Bank projects in Egypt are built on agricultural land that is very close to the Nile River. Consequently, in the very near term, the agricultural land will be destroyed and will cause heavy pollution to the river and the ability of Egyptians to produce foodstuff, particularly on small holdings among farmers and fishermen and areas that are in dire poverty, very abject poverty, that cannot find other methods of livelihood. Also, a number of the population will face severe problems affecting their food security. If that food security is going to be among these basic four policies, what is being implemented in the Bank's projects contradict what concerns the food security in Egypt. So we hope that safeguards will include a regional strategy so that they will discuss that no buildings will be built on agricultural land, so that they will be part of the preservation. The second point concerns the level of projects. Concerning the special consultations on assessment of the environmental impact, it happens that it is really highly corrupt. In Egypt, of course, we hope there will be a real role for civil society organizations through clear, transparent, effective institutional standards to be implemented on participation and instituting studies, under monetary studies, before a project is approved or implemented. Thank you very much. MR. BURRETT: If we could now move to the back microphone for the final two comments or questions. QUESTION: Thanks. I am Gretchen Gordon with the Indian Law Resource Center. I wanted to raise some
settings that we need to be acutely aware of as we go forward. MR. BURRETT: Okay. Can we have the next comment. QUESTION [Abdelmawla Ismail, Egyptian Association for Collective Rights]: On a decision for collective rights, I will speak Arabic. [Interpreted from Arabic.] What I would like to focus on in my talk is that you know very well that land and water resources--what I would like to focus on in my presentation is that you all know that land and water resources are considered to be very rare, and the people who number about 80 million people depend on it for their production of foodstuff. Unfortunately, most of the World Bank projects in Egypt are built on agricultural land that is very close to the Nile River. Consequently, in the very near term, the agricultural land will be destroyed and will cause heavy pollution to the river and the ability of Egyptians to produce foodstuff, particularly on small holdings among farmers and fishermen and areas that are in dire poverty, very abject poverty, that cannot find other methods of livelihood. Also, a number of the population will face severe problems affecting their food security. If that food security is going to be among these basic four policies, what is being implemented in the Bank's projects contradict what concerns the food security in Egypt. So we hope that safeguards will include a regional strategy so that they will discuss that no buildings will be built on agricultural land, so that they will be part of the preservation. The second point concerns the level of projects. Concerning the special consultations on assessment of the environmental impact, it happens that it is really highly corrupt. In Egypt, of course, we hope there will be a real role for civil society organizations through clear, transparent, effective institutional standards to be implemented on participation and instituting studies, under monetary studies, before a project is approved or implemented. Thank you very much. MR. BURRETT: If we could now move to the back microphone for the final two comments or questions. QUESTION: Thanks. I am Gretchen Gordon with the Indian Law Resource Center. I wanted to raise some
preliminaryreportoutonphase1ofthesafeguardsreviewconsultations_transcript.docx