Addressing pollution and climate change: a VeryNile idea

The Nile River’s Significance in Egypt  

About five million years ago, the Nile River began flowing northwards into Egypt. Ancient people developed permanent settlements along the river’s banks which led to Egypt becoming the world’s first recognizable nation-state by c.3150 BCE. Known in ancient times as the “Father of Life” and the “Mother of All Men”, the Nile continues to play an integral role in Egyptian lore, life, and commerce.

Today, the Nile provides 97 percent of Egypt’s water and is the backbone of the industrial and agricultural sectors. However, rising levels of water pollution have caused domestic and international implications. According to the World Economic Forum, the Nile is one of just ten rivers globally that source 90 percent of garbage in the world’s oceans. Moreover, the Nile’s pollution and environmental degradation are decreasing water availability – almost 7 percent of Egyptians lack access to clean drinking water and over 8 million go without proper sanitation.  

Barriers to Environmental Protection 

Both the private and public sectors struggle to curb pollution and climate change globally. Particularly in the COVID-19 era, governments and non-profit organizations have prioritized sectors or issues that have an immediate impact on people’s wellbeing such as healthcare, job creation, and agriculture among others. Consequently, environmental protection efforts are generally underfunded and oftentimes lack any kind of sustainable business model. Pollution in the Nile not only has a dire impact on water quality, but also threatens the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. As the Nile becomes increasingly clogged with plastic bottles, bags, and other waste, fishermen catch fewer fish and make less money.

Even though the government faces barriers to addressing this pollution, changemakers are uniquely equipped to find creative solutions that will improve the environment and social wellbeing in their communities. Through the organization VeryNile, Ashoka Fellow Salem Massalha connects Nile River fishermen and Greater Cairo garbage collectors to take a holistic approach that cleans the Nile, recycles waste, and improves livelihoods.  

VeryNile’s Reviving Cairo Fisherman Initiative  

Following a long history of Egypt’s reliance on the Nile, Salem is working to ensure that future generations can continue to depend on the river by “Cleaning the Nile, one kilo at a time.” Specifically, VeryNile’s Reviving Cairo Fisherman program mitigates the impact of pollution on the fishing sector by socially and economically empowering local fishermen to clean the Nile on a daily basis. The initiative gives fishermen the opportunity to triple their profit by employing them to remove medical and plastic waste from the Nile, paying them a fixed amount for each kilogram collected. As of February 2021, VeryNile and its beneficiaries have collected 52 tons of solid garbage, including 15 tons of plastic waste, from the Nile River.  

Raising Awareness and Implementing Social Change 

In line with Ashoka’s mission, VeryNile believes that real, sustainable change can only be achieved through creating behavioral change and raising public awareness. To shift mindsets in Egypt about sustainability, VeryNile partnered with Zawya Cinema to create a video to raise awareness about the dangers of single-use plastic bags on the environment. Additionally, the organization worked to ban plastic bags in Zamalek, one of Cairo’s most populated islands, and produced 3,000 cotton bags out of recycled materials for shoppers to use instead.

Salem’s work demonstrates that changemakers have a unique ability to creatively address complex issues - like pollution - while also working to solve economic and social problems in a sustainable way.