National parks and protected areas
Ras Mohammed National Park. Whether you are a passionate naturalist, or a simple observer who loves beauty, a visit to this park is simply a must. Located in the extreme south of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25 km from the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, it aims to protect three remarkable ecosystems: desert, mangrove and marine environment. Preserved from any construction, it is first of all an exceptional panorama on the Red Sea that will be offered to you. Each natural environment shelters a unique and fragile biodiversity, which calls for respectful behaviour on the part of the visitor. As a diver, you will be able to admire the treasures of the seabed: moray eels, green or hawksbill turtles, but also more than 1,000 species of fish, 40 species of starfish, and a coral diversity among the richest in the world. Large marine mammals (sharks) can be observed from the cliff of Shark Observatory. The site is also a staging point for migratory birds and you can admire, depending on the season, herons and white storks on their way to Africa, but also species that live all year round in the park. Botanists, don't forget the mangrove area, its palm trees and acacias but also all the characteristics of this wetland.
Wadi El-Gemal National Park. Meaning "valley of the camels", it is a nature reserve, classified as a national park in 2003, and located in the south of the Egyptian eastern desert, between the Nile and the Red Sea. Culminating with the "Emerald Mountain" (Gebel Hamata) at an altitude of 1,977 metres, the park is made up of dunes and rocks, but its coastal fringe along the Red Sea is home to lagoons, mangroves, islands and coral massifs. A reception centre or visits can help you discover this "biodiversity hot spot", and also present the ethnographic aspects of the park, linked to the way of life of the nomadic populations (who used a whole pharmacopoeia linked to local medicinal plants).
Other remarkable natural areas are protected in Egypt. These include the Omayed Biosphere Reserve, located in the coastal desert to the west of Alexandria, the coastal dunes of Ras El Hekma, the Siwa oasis, the Gulf of Sollum and the protected area of Nabq.
Important Plant Areas (IPAs)
It is a network of sites, supported by a global programme, aimed at the identification and protection of plants. Egypt has 21 ZIPs. Among them is the Saint Catherine Massif, which has the country's greatest floristic variety, with nearly 500 species and 50% of the country's endemic flora.
Sensitive environmental issues: biodiversity, water, air and waste
While Egypt's geographical location gives it exceptional natural resources and biodiversity, these are subject to many pressures from human activities. Awareness of the environmental and health consequences of environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity has been raised. In 2018, Egypt hosted the UN Summit on Nature and Culture in Sharm el-Sheikh. Since 2003, the country has also put in place a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP). However, many efforts remain to be made, particularly on water management, air quality and waste.
Environmental and health issues in the Nile Valley
The Nile Valley is home to the country's fertile land. Population concentration and human activities greatly affect the resources and quality of the environment. Water withdrawals for agriculture are significant and aggravated by the phenomenon of evaporation. Human activities (agriculture, industry, and residential) emit aqueous effluents that contribute to the pollution of the river waters. On the other hand, the construction of the Aswan High Dam induces important environmental impacts. Commissioned in the 1960s and 1970s, it was built to control the Nile's floods and to facilitate agriculture and land irrigation. On the other hand, by reducing the river's flow, it has reduced the volume of sediment into the delta, promoting nutrient depletion and erosion, thereby justifying increased use of inputs for agriculture, which in turn induces a greater pollution load in the water and land. The salinisation of the Nile and the rising water tables, the appearance of invasive species linked to water exchanges between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, also result from the construction of the dam. Another point is the over-consumption of water. Urbanization and population growth make these issues even more crucial.
Biodiversity: hunting, fishing and tourism
Hunting and overfishing are responsible for the disappearance of species or their endangerment. For example, the country's deserts, once populated by large mammals, have seen their populations of striped cheetahs, leopards and hyenas decline alarmingly. All human activities threaten biodiversity, by destroying natural environments (construction, agriculture, overgrazing), but also by diffuse pollution, particularly of water and soil (more or less treated aqueous effluents discharging into rivers, particularly the Nile, and then the seas). Air pollution is also very prevalent and harmful (air emissions from industry, agriculture, waste burning and residential activities, including heating and transport). Tourism also has its share of responsibility, since it puts pressure on the environment and resources (urbanisation of coastal areas in particular, water consumption) and generates pollution. Visitors cannot be too strongly urged to adopt responsible behaviour during their stay: moderation of water and energy consumption, waste sorting, etc.
Sunscreens and coral bleaching
Did you know that certain actions can contribute to the endangerment of corals? Indeed, the chemical filters present in certain sun creams contain toxic agents responsible for bleaching and thus, in the long run, for the death of corals. In some regions, regulations aim to ban the use of these products. Don't panic, alternatives exist, clothing protection or sunscreen products that exclude compounds that are harmful to the environment. Notice to consumers !
Cities: efforts to be made on all fronts, especially air quality
What surprises visitors arriving in the cities, especially in Cairo, is a pollution that is clearly perceptible by sight and smell: air pollution thus forms a sometimes thick canopy over the Egyptian capital where the levels of pollutants (particles, lead, nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, CO2) exceed more than the values recommended by the World Health Organization. It is estimated that air pollution is responsible for 20,000 deaths a year in Cairo. It is mainly due to road traffic, industrial activities and the burning of waste, some of which is of agricultural origin, such as rice straw. Travellers who are susceptible to respiratory illnesses are advised not to travel along major roads or in hot weather. Pollution also reaches the soil (associated with poor waste management) and water (suspected mercury contamination). In Cairo, one of the world's most polluted cities, mounds of waste litter the city streets.
Actions... and efforts to continue
Waste management. With regard to waste management, the Municipality of Cairo has launched an action to promote recycling. These are collection points where residents can deposit certain recoverable waste containing metals (aluminium, copper, iron) for an immediate fee. This incentive approach seems to be working well and the waste kiosks installed in the city provide both additional income for the inhabitants and improved waste collection. With the help of international donors, an industrial waste burial centre has been built to provide a concrete solution to the uncontrolled storage of waste or its burning in the open air. Cruise ships now keep their waste - instead of increasing the volume of uncontrolled dumping - before sending it to treatment channels.
Air quality. Sensitive lungs refrain: air quality, another more than alarming subject, is also the subject of measures such as the elimination of leaded petrol and the development of gas-powered vehicles (in connection with the recent discovery of gas deposits). International action programmes and national requirements are being put in place to reduce industrial pollutant emissions, but much remains to be done to achieve acceptable air quality. Don't let this get in your way. There are also islands of greenery in cities, for those who know how to think outside the box and listen to the residents. It is precisely in the encounter with the Other that a certain "environmental quality" is found, as filmmaker Youssef Chahine celebrated. In the documentary Le Caire, Chahine said: "I love Cairo. So deeply that when I am asked the question "how", I find myself looking for the words [...], you see, I love the people I love. Not the stones. »
