Egypt Country Profile
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COUNTRY PROFILE Egypt Alexandria, 2012. Photo© UN-Habitat/ Ahmed Adel URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN AND FOREWORD URBAN LEGISLATION, LAND LAND URBAN LEGISLATION, Like much of the world, Egypt is witnessing rapid growth of its cities. To date 43% of the population in Egypt live in 223 cities, of which 56 % are AND GOVERNANCE concentrated in the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) and Alexandria. This rapid urbanization represents one of the biggest challenges that faces Egypt’s urban development and is one of the main causes of the growth of informal and unsafe areas in Egypt. However, the smartest cities today are turning these challenges into opportunities because urbanization should be considered as a driver of development rather than a problem. Cities can be engines of growth, but this is only if they are managed well and if opportunities are seized and utilized. Cities bring people closer together, benefit from economies of scale, and are a marketplace of their own - placing people, goods, and services all in close ECONOMY proximity. To capture this potential, we must push forward sustainable urbanization policies, policies that enable growth and at the same time create URBAN an urban development process that is able to cope with the challenges of the coming years – such as climate change, increasing demands on urban infrastructure, pollution and rapid population growth. URBAN BASIC URBAN BASIC Sustainable urbanization is multifaceted, and it is for this reason that national urban policies must look at urban development through multiple lenses SERVICES such as Planning and Design, Urban Economy, Housing and Services, and Governance. We must build and design cities that are inclusive and that are equipped for the next century. It is for this reason that UN-Habitat has been focusing on pilot interventions that result in the creation of sustainable, efficient and vibrant cities so they become engines of growth and also focuses on producing knowledge products and pilot projects that can provide evidence based research to the formulation of key policies. These dynamics are not a particularity to Egypt, but they are part of global processes. Thus SLUM UPGRADING SLUM UN-Habit is mobilizing the government towards the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) AND HOUSING which will take place in 2016 in Quito, Ecuador and it is aligning its work along the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 11, to “make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” RISK REDUCTION AND REDUCTION AND RISK REHABILITATION Rania Hedeya UN-Habitat Egypt CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY URBAN RESEARCH AND URBAN RESEARCH Country Profile - Egypt 3 URBAN ISSUES Population (2014) 86 million1 Urban planning, infrastructure and service been in Egypt for some time and continue to GDP Growth (2013-14) 1%2 delivery have not been able to keep up with deplete their savings, Syrians become less able Inequality Adjusted Human the rapid urban growth experienced in Egypt to find housing for themselves and their families. 110/187 (2014)3 Development Index over the last four decades. There is a lack of Additionally, there will still be a large number Urban Population of total public space and increasing deficiencies in of Syrian refugees in Egypt that do not register 43.6%4 population (2012) infrastructure and services. Due to inefficient with UNHCR, as they are able to legalize their Population growth rate 2%5 public land management systems and outdated stay through the normal immigration procedures, (average annual 2010-2015) housing policies, impoverished individuals that will also require support and assistance. Urbanization growth rate 2.04% have no alternative but to settle in unplanned Proportion of urban population living in slum 17.1%6 and sometimes unsafe areas. In addition, The impact of Syrian refugees in urban areas (2007) infrastructure is deteriorating, public services communities has caused considerable strain. Youth population 23.7% and transportation systems are stretched to In areas of the city where refugees have settled the limit, air and noise pollution levels are high they compete with poor local residents for scarce Dynamics of Urbanization and and traffic congestion is chronic in most areas. resources and limited services and, as such, Informality The complex set of institutional arrangements they are vulnerable to aggression, violence and that fragment responsibilities, also constrains exploitation. Egyptian residents in these areas 43% of the population of Egypt lives in 223 efficient service delivery. A lack of efficient and have often very similar needs for assistance and cities, of which 56 % are concentrated in the accountable planning and management systems support initiatives as the refugees. Greater Cairo Region as well as Alexandria in Egypt, as well as rapid urbanization, has governorates. caused socio-political and economic challenges Environment Issues that the country has not been able to address. The river Nile determines the environment of The Greater Cairo Region is one of the largest This contributed to a situation from which the Egypt, establishing a clear distinction between metropolitan area on the African continent. It is a recent so called “Arab Spring” events could arable land and the desert. The fertile land prime engine for economic growth in Egypt and develop, that called for a more transparent of Egypt represents only 3.9% of the overall with over 18 million inhabitants, it accommodates and accountable government, social equity national territory, and it is divided up into two close to 20% of the country’s population. The and justice. geographical regions: the Delta and Upper events in 2011 aggravated the already existing Egypt. The capital city, Cairo, is located in trend of a growing number of informal and Impact of Syrian Refugees between the two and has a population of unsafe areas emerging in Egypt. According to Some 250,000 to 300,000 Syrians currently circa 20 million people. The density of this the Ministry of Local Development, about 1,171 reside in Egypt according to government megacity is circa 20,000 inhabitants/km². The areas across the country are considered informal, estimates provided in June 2013. Of these, urbanisation in Egypt is also affecting regional inhabiting a population of around 15 million 127,519 individuals have been registered by capitals - such as Alexandria - by increasing inhabitants. Around 60% of these areas are UNHCR as of 16 November 2015. Refugees their population exponentially. This is partly due located in the Greater Cairo Region. continued to arrive and, as those who have to the rural population shift, partly explained 1 (CAPMAS), The Central Agency for Public Mobilization And 3 UNDP: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/table-3-inequality- 5 Ibid Statistics, “Monthly statistical bulletin”, Cairo, 2014, adjusted-human-development-index 6 UN-Habitat (http://urbandata.unhabitat.org/explore-data/?cou 2 (CAPMAS),”Monthly statistical bulletin”, Cairo, 2014, 4 World Bank (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL. ntries=EG&indicators=slum_proportion_living_urban) IN.ZS) 4 Country Profile - Egypt URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN AND URBAN LEGISLATION, LAND LAND URBAN LEGISLATION, AND GOVERNANCE ECONOMY URBAN El Maragha small city, Souhag, 2009. Photo© UN-Habitat URBAN BASIC URBAN BASIC SERVICES by the demographic explosion. Despite the diversified economic growth. The proportion of Transitional Phase governments’ efforts to make the irrigation the population living in extreme poverty declined Egypt had focused on progressing towards system in the Nile Valley and in the Delta more from 8.2% in 1990 to 3.4% in 2008/9. The total the Millennium Development Goals; the efficient during the last century, the demographic poverty ratio declined from 24.2% in 1990/1992 proportion of the population living in extreme SLUM UPGRADING SLUM growth and its urban expansion is currently the to 21.6% in 2008/2009. Updated data has not poverty declined from 8.2% in 1990 to 3.4% AND HOUSING biggest threat for the natural resources of the been available since the revolutions. According to in 2008/2009. Following the revolutions of country. In fact, water pollution and poor sewage Egypt’s Household Consumption and Expenditure 25 January 2011 and 30 June 2013, Egypt treatment is partly responsible for a high infant Survey, the upper poverty line also stagnated at is currently in a transition process and strives mortality throughout the country. 7 In terms about 40% between the 1990s and 2008/2009. to overcome the growing challenges faced of energy, Egypt still has a strong oil and gas However, accompanying the revolutions, the by different sectors. Despite many challenges RISK REDUCTION AND REDUCTION AND RISK dependency -96% of its primary energetic needs- rates of economic growth had declined to faced by the Egyptian government during the REHABILITATION which has provoked the appearance of other approximately 2% during the past three years. past years, successive governments have taken environmental issues in the last 50 years, such Another urban dimension of hindrances to steps in 2013 aimed towards restoring political as solid waste management and air pollution. 8 Egypt’s economic development is its overcrowded and economic stability. The implementation streets, Cairo in particular. Egypt currently loses of a political road map is almost finalized, Urban Economy 4% of its GDP due to congestion which in turn which has so far included the preparation of CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY Although there has been a slight improvement creates an unattractive investment and business a new constitution, presidential elections and AND URBAN RESEARCH in the Egyptian peoples’ economic situation over climate. UN-Habitat is focusing on encouraging parliamentary elections. the last decades, the country is, due to various cost effective public transportation systems and reasons, still struggling to reach sustainable and promoting non-motorized transportation. 7 National Water Research Center, Ministry of Water Resources 8 UNDP: In depth: Environment and Energy. http://www.eg.undp.