Nadia El-Megawaty

Egyptian environmental activist leading innovative plastic recycling initiatives in the Nile Delta

Nadia El-Megawaty is a Cairo-based environmental scientist and entrepreneur who has pioneered groundbreaking waste management solutions in rural Egypt since 2020. Her organization Nile Clean Grid has developed a blockchain-powered recycling system that incentivizes farmers to collect plastic waste through cryptocurrency rewards. This initiative has diverted over 2 million kg of plastic from the Nile River while creating 1,500+ micro-entrepreneur positions in marginalized communities. Nadia's TEDx talk Plastic as Currency: Reimagining Waste Economies (2022) has been viewed over 2.3 million times. Her work intersects environmental science with fintech innovations, establishing replicable models for circular economies in developing nations. Recent partnerships with UNDP and the European Union have expanded the program to 12 African countries through her African Plastic Alliance initiative launched in 2023. Nadia's approach combines community empowerment with advanced technology, creating measurable environmental impact while fostering economic dignity.