This challenge is particularly acute in the developing world, and especially in Egypt.
Environmental protection is now high on Egypt's political agenda.
President Mubarak has asserted that preservation of the environment is a necessity, and a number of concrete initiatives have been taken. Perhaps most importantly, the Nile has been declared free of polluted industrial waste water, thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Irrigation. At the same time, much work has been done to make Egypt's industrial zones, responsible for almost 70 per cent of pollution, environmentally friendly. Problems ranging from air pollution to noise pollution and industrial waste water treatment have been addressed in five of these cities, including 6 October, Sadat and 10 Ramadan. Efforts have been focused on the implementation of an integrated, functional solid-waste management programme in which the private sector will play a significant role.