Environment: Barring of cement factories without refining systems… and emergency actions to stave off natural disasters

The Government decided to set up an inter-ministerial national Committee to follow up on the burning climate change file, in coordination with the various sectors like industry, transport and agriculture, to ward off natural disasters in preparation for the Paris Conference on the matter , scheduled for the end of the year.

Water resources Minister Abdelwahab Nouri dwelt during a broad-based meeting in Algiers on emergency action to be initiated by the Government, in coordination between the ministries of water resources, energy, industry and mines, and a number of bodies to avoid natural disasters similar to the catastrophic flooding which occurred in Bab El Oued district in central Algiers several years ago and others.

“The Government is wary of the nefarious effects of natural disasters during the next phase, so we intensified our efforts to adopt the necessary preventive solutions in case of any emergency, he added.”

The Minister said in a speech on the occasion of the national forum for counseling and consultation on climate change on Tuesday in Algiers that the Government had mobilized all ministries to counter global warming and what may result from problems linked to the climate change fluctuations with a view to avoiding any natural disaster.

Mr Nouri further asserted that Algeria would be highly represented at the upcoming Paris conference (COP21) next November which is expected to adopt a clear-cut and comprehensive strategy to address the nagging problems resulting from climate change.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Saleh Kherbi, denied the charges leveled against companies active in the national  energy sector concerning environmental pollution, saying that Algeria respects international environmental standards in its policy on oil and gas production and has adopted to this effect  clean methods, adding that the oil production process in Algeria is much less polluting compared to other  countries worldwide.

He also announced the launching of the production of clean energies and their effective use to manufacture electricity to the tune of 30 percent, by the year 2030.

Concurrently, the Minister of industry and mines, Abdeslem Bouchouareb, spoke for his part of the adoption by the authorities of new strategies for reducing pollution in industrial policy and productivity in the country through the rapid setting up of mandatory  regulations notably for cement production, stressing that from now onward these cement production units should be fitted beforehand with refining systems to be operational as part of a global anti-pollution policy to be enforced in Algeria.