Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly was witness Thursday to the signing ceremony of a project to support adaptation to climate change on the North Coast and in the Nile Delta.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aati, Minister of Environment Yassmin Fouad and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Richard Dictus.

At a press conference following the signing ceremony, Abdel Ati said the project's grant will be funded by the Green Climate Fund with a sum of $31.5 million to carry out protection works in North Delta governorates. 

Abdel Ati said the grant is the biggest of its kind to be received by Egypt in the field of adaptation to climate change.

He added that the project aims at limiting the impact of coastal floods in five governorates, including Port Said, Damietta, Daqahliya, Kafr El-Sheikh and Beheira as a result of rising in sea levels.

Meanwhile, head of the Cairo UNDP office Randa Abul Hassan said adaptation to the risks of climate change is a top priority of the UNDP in developing countries.

Abdul Hassan said the project is part of a first phase of partnership between the Ministry of Water Resources and UNDP. The project's activities are set to start by the end of the year, she added.