Hosam Hussein is one of the 10,000 Egyptian workers that helped build the fourth largest solar park in the world.
According to the IFC, before sunrise, workers from several communities in Upper Egypt would wait for their bus rides to enter the vast western desert in Aswan – where 45 different private companies are operating to build solar panels visible from space.
“The project had a critical role and a great impact on the community here, from job opportunities to awareness of new and renewable energy,” he told the World Bank, “one of the main things that the project helped provide for the region was many job opportunities for the people in Aswan.”
While economic growth in emerging economies has often been linked with environmental damage, the Benban solar park shows the world that environmental sustainability can improve livelihoods, raise incomes and be socially inclusive.
For years, it was well known that regions in Africa and the Middle East are sun drenched and rich in potential power generation capacity, particularly in the area of renewables. However, the surge in green growth depended largely on two main things: national policy and international cooperation. Read more>>
