Project: Natural Capital Accounts for Sustainable Coastal Tourism
Client: Egyptian MoE, UNIDO & OUDA
Location: Hurghada, Egypt
Objective: The Green Hurghada Project aims to make Hurghada a model for sustainable, low-carbon tourism along Egypt’s Red Sea coast. This region, home to internationally important coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves, is increasingly threatened by overdevelopment, climate change, and unsustainable tourism. The project seeks to integrate Natural Capital Assessment (NCA) and Accounting (NCAc) into policy and planning processes to better account for the ecological, social, and economic value of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Our role: Sustain Value is leading the NCA and ecosystem valuation components of the project. We are developing a series of natural capital accounts and ecosystem service valuations, with a focus on tourism, fisheries, and coastal zone management. Our work includes:
Establishing a policy-relevant natural capital assessment framework aligned with UN SEEA and the Natural Capital Protocol
Identifying data gaps and integrating existing datasets
Advising on capacity building and stakeholder engagement strategies
Supporting policy and regulatory integration of NCA findings.
Outcome: The assessment will provide decision-makers with robust data and tools to manage Hurghada’s ecosystems more sustainably, ensure tourism investments align with environmental goals, and develop policies that enhance climate resilience and biodiversity protection. It will also deliver training and capacity building to institutionalise natural capital thinking, helping to safeguard the region’s natural assets for future generations.