Unlawful Tree Felling Persists Across Three Governorates Despite Strict Government Bans

Al-Masry Al-Youm has documented the ongoing felling of old trees across three governorates, despite strict government directives. In Luxor on Monday, a group of individuals cut down several old trees lining the Luxor–Aswan agricultural road at Esna city in the southern part of the governorate, loading them onto pickup trucks. These trees had previously helped mitigate high temperatures.

Ahmed al-Hawary, the head of the Esna Center and City, confirmed that Esna Police Station would be notified to take necessary action against the perpetrators. He added that an urgent directive would be issued to village council heads to immediately inspect the eastern agricultural road and take appropriate legal measures against violators.

In Assiut, the streets of Abnoub district have transformed over the past two days from shaded avenues into barren expanses following a wave of indiscriminate felling that left nothing but roots behind. Meanwhile, residents of the Second and Third Districts in New Minya City have complained about an “unjustified massacre” of trees, stating that the city authority removed old trees—some over 20 years old—during the past week.

Saeed Ahmed, a tree trader in Qalyubiya, revealed that some residents are offering mature trees for sale at prices ranging from LE 3,000-6,000 per ton, depending on the tree species.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly emphasized the necessity of strictly adhering to directives banning the felling of trees unless prior approval is obtained from the Ministers of Local Development and Environment. While chairing a meeting of the Council of Governors, Madbouly reviewed the implementation status of presidential directives regarding the “Greening All Governorates” initiative, which aims to transform any cleared land into green spaces.

He called for expanding green spaces across the nation by formulating an implementation plan for tree planting—covering main roads, highways, city and village entrances, and road medians—and immediately utilizing any vacant land for planting. Madbouly also urged consulting experts to select the most suitable tree species and utilizing irrigation water from tertiary treatment plants.