And the West Nile Delta (Coastal), Egypt

BRIEFING NOTES ON THE CIRCE URBAN AND COASTAL CASE STUDIES: ALEXANDRIA (URBAN) AND THE WEST NILE DELTA (COASTAL), EGYPT

The city of Alexandria is located to the West of the Nile Delta and shares many of the common issues of the wider coastal region. The justification, research issues and data for both case studies are therefore considered within a single briefing note. Subsequent reports of the impacts of climate change will differentiate between coastal and urban areas of the West Nile Delta.

Summary production, settlement region of the and industry, and hu- Mediterranean coast of The West Nile Delta man health. Egypt (Figure 1) includes (Egypt) is an important Alexandria City Abu Qir resource for agricul- The key research issues Bay, and the Rosetta ture, tourism and in- will include an integrat- branch of the River Nile, dustry, but suffers from ed assessment of the di- Lake Edku and adjacent severe environmental rect and indirect im- regions bounded in the pollution and a lack of pacts of sea-level rise south by the Cairo- environmental moni- and salt-water intru- Alamien road (Figure 2). toring and regulation. sion, an exploration of A number of historic possible adaptation op- cities and expansive ar- The low-lying coastal tions, and an evalua- eas of fertile agricultural areas to the south east of tion of the socio-eco- land are included and are Alexandria city, and in nomic problems imped- undergoing vast un- particular the northern ing sustainable develop- planned development. part of Behaira gover- ment in the region. Extensive industrial, agri- norate, are some of the cultural and domestic most vulnerable areas pollution in the area is an to sea-level rise in Egypt. 1. Physical important factor con- The aspects of the urban and socio-economic tributing to the deterio- environment that suf- characteristics ration of environmental fers the utmost risks are: conditions. The region is residential areas, fresh Geography: an important underuti- water resources, energy The Western Nile Delta lized resource for agricul-

1 ture, tourism and indus- tive salvage operation for and 30º 35’ East and 30º trial production in Egypt. marine archeologists and 35’ and 31º 30’ North, However, planning defi- would also stimulate the and extends 50-80 km in- ciencies for monitoring, tourist industry. They inland. Several ecological assessing and controlling clude ruins of the ancient systems can be identi- pollution, and a general cities of Canopus and fied. The coastal ecosys- lack of awareness of envi- Herakleion, dated from tem includes agricultural ronmental issues among Greek to Byzantine times land, palm trees, sand stakeholders, have ren- which were discovered at dune deposits distrib- dered this region a highly depths of 6-7 m in the uted throughout the degraded and deteriorat- western part of Abu Qir middle of the area, wide ing environment. Inland bay; Bonaparte’s Fleet sandy beaches, the ancient monuments (the British naval units Rosetta branch of the comprise a collection of commanded by Admiral Nile, the River Nile basin, nine fort ruins and the re- Nelson sank most of Lake Edku, and the ur- stored and famous mon- Napoleon’s flotilla at Abu ban environment (with a ument of Qait-Bay Castle, Qir Bay) which was dis- hierarchy of urban clus- and “Sidi Abdel Razek” covered on 1st August ters varying in size from shrine. Archeological 1798 and is visible under- villages, farms and towns sites submerged under water in calm seas. to large urban conglom- the western part of Abu This is a coastal region erations). Even though Qir bay afford an attrac- located between 29º 40’ the region hosts many

Figure 1: Map showing the case-study location for the Nile Delta region and Alexandria

2 natural and economic inadequate high quality sions between them. The resources such as scenic water. frontal plain is located landscapes, temperate The case-study area, like south of the foreshore weather, historic monu- most places along the plain, and is charac- ments, ecotourism sites, northwestern coast of terised by the presence extensive beaches and Egypt, is covered mostly of scattered eroded lime- high ecological and by Quaternary and stone outcrops and alter- species biodiversity, it Tertiary sedimentary nating gypsum forma- has suffered from signifi- rocks which typically tions and clay deposits. cant environmental pro- have a very low elevation The sandy zone is com- blems. These problems relative to the sea level. posed of a variety of dif- include insufficient insti- The coastal plain occu- ferent sand formations, tutional capacity, pollu- pies the northern part of such as sheets, dunes tion, salt-water intrusion the area and runs paral- and hummocks. Sand and lack of environmen- lel to the coastline. In particles may be quartz- tal awareness, which places, three distinct ite and / or calcareous in makes sustainable devel- subunits may be recog- nature. opment of the region nized: the foreshore The largest city in the practically impossible plain, the frontal plain, study area is Alexandria, under the prevailing and the sandy zone. The with a population of over conditions. The main ob- foreshore plain is charac- 4.1 million. There are jective of this project is to terized by the occurrence four other major cities in develop policies and of elongated ridges, run- the study area; Kafr El- management practices ning sub-parallel to the Dawar, Rashid, Edku and which could facilitate present shoreline and al- Al Maadia. These cities sustainable develop- ternating with lagoons, have a combined popu- ment of the region under salt marshes, and alluvial lation of almost 992 the present conditions of deposits in the depres- thousand (Census, 1996).

Figure 2: Detailed Map of the study area in and around Alexandria

3 Population growth rates because there are no cul- in the afternoon due to for the study area are not tivated land or irrigation the development of cu- available but the nation- facilities. mulus clouds. In sum- al growth rate increased mer, maximum cloud from 2.75% in 1968, to Climate: cover occurs in the after- 2.8% in 1996. Kafr El- The prevalence of north- noon, while in the Dawwar the largest city westerly winds over the evening the sky is virtual- of the Beheira gover- Mediterranean Sea for ly clear. There is no differ- norate is located to the most of the year en- ence in sunshine dura- south of the study area, hances the constant east- tion from place-to-place and is resident to about ward movement of water. along the coast, or from 232 thousand inhabi- The estimated surface year-to-year. Cloudiness tants. It encompasses current velocity ranges is greater nearer the coast important industries, from 9.26 to 13.5 cm/s than inland. Solar radia- such as textile and dying, during the summer, de- tion is strong from March chemicals, canning and clines to 4.46 cm/s during till the end of September, food processing. Rashid the autumn, sharply in- with a peak in June-July City (Rosetta City) is lo- creases to 23.14 cm/s in while November, De- cated on the western side winter due to strong cember and January are of the Rosetta branch of winds, and declines again relatively cloudy. The the Nile in the east of the during calm spring variation in monthly study area. It has a popu- weather to 8.4 cm/s. The mean air temperature lation of around 85 thou- prevailing northwesterly ranges from a minimum sand inhabitants. The winds and the availability of 14.1°C in January to a town is urban in charac- of long fetches leads to maximum of 31.5°C in ter with many historic waves coming from the August. Monthly mean Islamic buildings and west, northwest and relative humidity has sites. Edku City houses north for 55-60% of the lower values in spring, around 88 thousand in- time and from the north- due to heat waves which habitants. Al Maadia east for 8% of the time. are prominent in this sea- Town has a population of Dominant wave periods son. Rainfall ranges from about 8.8 thousand in- are 5-8 seconds; extremes 180-250 mm/year, with habitants, and is impor- reach 10 seconds or most of the precipitation tant to local fisheries due more. The diurnal pat- occurring in January to its new harbour. Areas tern of cloud cover in (about 120 mm). The to the east and west of winter has a maximum in maximum daily rainfall Lake Edku are densely the early morning be- in the area is 10-12 mm. populated and several cause of the presence of Since the building of the villages lie in the vicinity low-sheet stratus that Aswan High Dam in 1964, of the major cities. There normally dissipates after there has been an imbal- are no settlements to the sunrise. There is a second ance between two of the northeast of Edku town maximum of cloud cover major forces affecting the

4 shore, erosion and accre- erable efforts by stake- economic base of the tion. Consequently there holders have led to an area but have also has been a rapid reduc- agreement along the gen- shaped the social life of tion in the amount of eral principles of coastal the people. The socio- sediment accreted (from zone management economic activities in- 120 million tons per year (CZM). A national CZM teract and integrate to to only trace amounts). committee, involving form the individual char- This has caused signifi- governmental stakehold- acteristics of the study cant and rapid changes ers, has been established area. To determine the along the shoreline of the to endorse the definition tourism potential of the North West Nile Delta. of the coastal zone. region, areas have been Rapid shoreline changes Although it has not con- surveyed that may at- can create catastrophic vened for some time, the tract domestic and inter- physical, biological and committee has con- national tourism (i.e., the socio-economic prob- tributed to processes, archaeological sites lems. Historical shoreline policies, guidelines and mentioned in the geog- retreat within the study regulatory mechanisms raphy section). area has been reported that facilitate the man- using satellite remote agement of coastal re- sensing data and field sources. 2. Justification measurements, (e.g., El- Raey et al., 1995). There Economy: The most vulnerable ar- has been no officially en- There are two main eco- eas of Egypt (Figure 3) dorsed national policy or nomic activities in the are the low-lying coastal national coastal zone region, agriculture and areas of Alexandria, management strategy for fishing. These economic Behaira governorates on Egypt, however, consid- sectors not only form the the West Nile delta, and

Figure 3: Vulnerable coastal areas of the Nile delta region, note in particular those areas below sea level

5 the area south of Port sents a time series of ero- Environmental issues: Said – Damietta gover- sion pattern as revealed norates. These areas are by satellite images of the Identification of highly vulnerable to the Rosetta promontory. coastal areas subject to impacts of sea-level rise, erosion and accretion which would affect wa- using remote sensing ter, agricultural and en- 3. Key Research Issues technology, including ergy resources, as well as an assessment of the human settlements. Climate issues: potential change in Further to the high vul- this pattern for differ- nerability linked to direct Integrated assessment ent scenarios. inundation, the region is of the impacts of sea- also highly vulnerable to level rise and possible Social issues: the indirect impacts of salt-water intrusion in erosion caused through low-lying areas. Evaluation of the so- the tidal action of the cio-economic prob- Mediterranean Sea which Identification and as- lems impeding the sus- produces high erosion in sessment of the avail- tainable development some regions and accre- able options for adap- of the region. tion in others. Excessive tation and the likely re- erosion rates of more sponses of the local Highlighting the poten- than 50m/year have been community to these tial socio-economic im- recorded. Figure 4 repre- measures. pacts of climate change

Figure 4: Erosion and Accretion Patterns of Rosetta Promontory A time series of overlapping satellite images indicating successive erosion of Rosetta promontory and changes in the Rosetta branch of the River Nile over the period, 1972-1990

6 in general and sea level Fishermen sets that need to be com- rise in particular across piled include: meteoro- the study area. Industrial workers logical data (temperature, precipitation, Investors wind); river discharge; 4. Regional sea level; ocean waves stakeholders, policy Decision makers (Gov- and currents; water tem- makers, institutions ernorates of Alexandria perature; salinity and and Behaira) nutrient concentration; Ministry of Water and socio-economic da- Resources ta. High resolution satel- 5. Data availability lite imagery needs to be Ministry of State for purchased to identify po- Environmental Affairs Data available for the re- tential impacts of cli- (MSEA) gion include low-resolu- mate change for different tion satellite imagery, time periods. Ministry of Housing and maps and results from a Urban Development variety of theses and Field surveys: publications for particu- The first field survey has Ministry of Health lar sites. It will also be been undertaken to gain possible to collect data local knowledge about Ministry of Tourism on marine water quality the study area (Figure 5). for specific times, Questionnaires will be Egyptian Environ- monthly time series of prepared for the socio- mental Affairs Agency sea level near Alexandria, economic impact assess- (EEAA) and time series of health ment of sea-level rise and data from appropriate its direct effects on differ- Farmers authorities. Other data ent related activities.

Figure 5: Dr. Hattab taking a shot for Prof. Raey and Dr. El-Askary while talking with local fishermen

7 Acknowledgements Further reading El-Raey, M., S. Nasr, O. Frihy, Y. Fouda, M. El Hattab, O. CIRCE (Climate Change Elbadawy, A. Shalaby, W. Mohammed, 2005, Sustainable and Impact Research: Management of Scarce Resources in the Coastal Zone the Mediterranean (SMART) D06.2: Case Study Report: Abu Qir Bay, Egypt. Environment) is funded http://www.ess.co.at/SMART/DELIVERABLES/D06.1_ by the Commission of final.pdf the European Union El-Raey M., Y. Fouda, and P. Gal. 2000, GIS for environ- (Contract No 036961 mental assessment of the impacts of urban encroach- GOCE) http://www.cir- ment on Rosetta Region, Egypt. Environmental ceproject.eu/. This brief- Monitoring and Assessment, 60(2): 217-233. ing note forms part of the doi:10.1023/A:1006195006898 CIRCE deliverables El-Raey, M., Y. Fouda and S. Nasr, S. 1997, GIS assess- D11.3.1 (urban) and ment of the vulnerability of the Rosetta area, Egypt to D11.5.1 (coastal). impacts of sea rise. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 47(1): 59-77. Final version, El-Raey, M.; S.M., Nasr; M.M., El-Hattab and O.E., Frihy. January 2008 Change detection of Rosetta promontory over the last forty years, International Journal of Remote Sensing, 1995, 16(5): 825-834. doi: 10.1080/01431169508954446 Sestini, G. 1992, Implications of climate change for the Nile delta. In, L. Jeftic, J.D. Milliman and G. Sestini (eds.), Climate Change and the Mediterranean, Volume1, Edward Arnold, London, pp. 533–601. Editors Maureen Agnew Authors ([email protected]) Mohamed El-Raey, Institute of Graduate Studies and and Clare Goodess Research (IGSR), Alexandria University, and CEDARE ([email protected]), [email protected] Climatic Research Unit, Hesham El-Askary, Faculty of Science, Alexandria School of Environmental University, and CEDARE, [email protected] Sciences, University of Mamdouh El Hattab, Environmental Studies and East Anglia, Norwich, Research Institute (ESRI-SADAT), Minufiya University, UK. Sadat City, and CEDARE. [email protected].