The Standing Committee for the preparation of the Egyptian Code, titled "Integrated Urban Management for Coastal Areas to Address the Impacts of Climate Change on Sustainable Urban Development," held its first meeting with its full membership. The meeting was held in implementation of Decree No. 174 of 2025, issued by the Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC), affiliated with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities. The committee is chaired by Prof. Dr. Ahmed Gaber, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.

The primary objective of the meeting was to establish the necessary timeframe for producing this new code, which is the first of its kind to specifically address climate change risks and sea-level rise. The committee concluded with an intensive schedule to produce the draft code, undergo public consultation and review, and issue the final version within eight months.

The meeting featured detailed presentations on the key outputs of the "Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast and Nile Delta" project, delivered by the project team: Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Project Director, and Dr. Yousry El-Komy, Strategic Planning and Governance Consultant. They presented the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) plan, the high-resolution risk maps developed by the project for coastal governorates, and various scenarios for dealing with expected inundation risks up to the year 2100.

Furthermore, presentations were delivered by the chairs of the sub-committees, which include an elite group of specialized experts. The formation of this committee underscores the state's firm commitment to developing the legislative and regulatory framework necessary to face climate repercussions through broad participation from government and research entities. The sub-committees cover all aspects of the code, most notably:

Sustainable Urban Development Protection Committee: Chaired by Prof. Mohamed Fathy Aref, Professor at the HBRC.

Planning and Building Requirements Committee: Chaired by Prof. Abbas Mohamed El-Zafarani, Professor at the Faculty of Urban and Regional Planning, Cairo University.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Committee: Chaired by Prof. Manal Sayed Abdel Hamid, Professor at the HBRC.

Ecosystem Protection Committee: Chaired by Assoc. Prof. Marianne Azmy Nassim, Associate Professor at the HBRC.

Coastal and Marine Structures Committee: Chaired by Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Director of the "Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation" project.

Sectoral Activities Committee: Chaired by Prof. Ayman Mostafa El-Degwy, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.

Architectural Protection of Buildings Committee: Chaired by Prof. Mona Mohamed Reda Azouz, Professor at the HBRC.