Launch Event: Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment (HAPIE)
J-PAL MENA at AUC is launching The Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment (HAPIE), which is J-PAL’s regional Air and Water Lab (AWL) in Egypt and an extension to the Egypt Impact Lab (EIL) in the new thematic area related to environment, energy, and climate change.
The event was held on Tuesday, February 18th, 2025, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation.
Watch the livestream of the event here >>
Building on J-PAL MENA's strong foundation of research and policy partnerships in the region and approaching its fifth anniversary, the HAPIE launch represents another significant milestone in leveraging evidence-based approaches. HAPIE aims to improve clean air and water access in Egypt by co-generating evidence and informing the policy decisions of government partners. HAPIE allows researchers to collaborate with J-PAL MENA and its government partners to innovate, test, and scale evidence-informed air and water policies. HAPIE's name is inspired by the language of ancient Egyptians. The name represents an embodiment of the annual flooding and fertility of the Nile River, whose rich inputs allowed Egyptians to cultivate crops and secure their future.
The Air and Water Labs expand the work of J-PAL’s King Climate Action Initiative, building on the foundational support of King Philanthropies to develop new research and policy approaches at the intersection of climate change and poverty reduction worldwide. J-PAL and Community Jameel founded the AWLs which work with government agencies to co-create evidence-based solutions to pressing air and water challenges. These labs aim to inform the decisions of city, state, and national governments that collectively serve nearly 260 million people across Egypt, India, and South Africa.
HAPIE's launch event will bring together Egypt’s policymakers, development practitioners, and researchers. Together, we will chart a course for conducting randomized impact evaluations of climate programs. A panel discussion will also take place, aiming to give insights into formulating evidence-based climate policies in Egypt.
HAPIE is made possible with generous support from its founding partners, Community Jameel and the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development.
Speakers
- H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat (Virtually)
Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation
- Dr. Ahmad Dallal
President of The American University in Cairo
- Dr. Ahmed El-Sayed
Executive Director of J-PAL MENA at AUC and Associate Professor at the AUC School of Business
- Ms. Clémence Vidal de la Blache
Country Director at Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Egypt
- Dr. Esther Duflo (Virtually)
Director of J-PAL, and Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Mr. George Richards
Director of Community Jameel
- Dr. Kyle Emerick
J-PAL Affiliate and Associate Professor of Economics at Tufts University and Scientific Advisor of HAPIE
- Ms. Laila Hosni
Executive Director of Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, Egypt
- Mr. Laurent Debroux
Program Leader Sustainable Development, World Bank
- Dr. Mohamed Bayoumi
Environment Specialist, UNDP
- Mr. Sherif El Diwany
Co-Founder and Managing Director of MGM Climate Business Developers
- Dr. Sherifa Sherif
Executive Director at the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD)
- Counselor Taghareed Elgoweily
Director of Environment Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
To learn more about the labs, visit our web page or view the press release.