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International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

Regional Workshop - Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Sustainable Water and Land Management in Semi-Arid Regions

Cairo, Egypt , 20-21 November 2008

IGBP National Committee activities in EgyptBy

Dr. Gehad Abu-el-Ata (Cairo University)

Member, IGBP National Committee

Objectives

• Hold workshops on various environmental issues.

• Communicate with the scientific community through the website www.scope.eg.net

• Exchange views with the scientific community through a non-periodical newsletter for SCOPE & IGBP

• Collaborating efforts with concerned committees and organizations for SCOPE & IGBP in the Arab region

• Publish Arabic versions of the SCOPE & IGBP publications

• Discuss and establish directories for Environmental Scientists, Research and Development activities in Egypt

• Set training programs for young scientists in environmental sciences

• Inform concerned organizations and personnel about new approaches in Global change

• Encourage and guide young researchers in Environmental science, and on how to participate in international activities

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Targets

• Hold five workshops in Upper Egypt and the Delta on “Global Change and its impact on the Egyptian Environment.

• Establish a website (Arabic & English) for SCOPE and IGBP under the website of National Committees / Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (EGYPT) www.scope.eg.net

• Issue a non-periodical newsletter for SCOPE & IGBP (English & Arabic)

• Start formation of a committee for SCOPE & IGBP in the Arab region in collaboration with concerned organizations

• Translate some of SCOPE & IGBP publications into Arabic

• Issue directories for Environmental Scientists, Research and Development activities in Egypt

• Set training programs for young scientists in environmental sciences

• Inform Environmentalists about all new approaches in Global change

• Encourage young researchers in Environmental science, and guide them on how to participate in international activities

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Members•Dr. Mohammed Saber (Chairman) Environmental Biotechnology

•Dr. Magdy Attia ( ) Agriculture

•Dr. Ahmed Farghaly Environmental Accounting

•Dr. Ahmed Maher Abdel-raouf Environmental Engineering

•Dr. Ismail H. Al-Bagoury Land and Water Conservation

•Dr. Inas I. Al-Sheokh Environmental Medicine

•Dr. Gehad A. Abo El-Ata Environmental Medicine

•Dr. Samir I. Ghabour Zoology

•Dr. Diaa El-Deen A. Al-Kousy Water Resource Management

•Dr. Eessam El-Henawy Soil

•Dr. Ferial Morsy Al-Bedaiwy Geology

•Dr. Fawkia Labib Bahna Soil

•Dr. Magdy Tawfik Khalil Aquatic Biology

•Dr. Moustafa Hassan Helal Soil

•Dr. Nagwa Abdel-Rahim Kamel Information and Communication

•Dr. Salah Nasr Ayaad Science

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Our Website

www.scope.eg.net

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Our Newsletter

First Issue

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Our Symposia

First Symposium

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The 1st Symposium on global change and its effect on Egypt

Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 14th September 2004

The 1st Symposium, on global change and its effect on Egypt, organized by SCOPE & IGBP National Committee was held in Suez Canal University on 14th September 2004 under the auspices of Excellences Prof. Dr. Amr Salama, Minster of High Education and Scientific Research and General Eng., Magid George State Minster of Environmental Affairs and Generall Sabri El-Adawi Governor of Isamaelia. Prof. Dr. Fawzi El-Refaie President of ASRT, and Prof. Dr, Farouk Abd-el-Kader President of Suez Canal University chaired

the symposium. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Saber, Chairman of Egyptian SCOPE & IGBP committee acted as secretary general of the symposium. Two hundred environmental scientists from universities and research

institutions as well as representatives from mass media, environmental executives and NGO members in the region attended the symposium. The program of the symposium, in two sessions, covered Change in Atmosphere Ecosystem, Change in Aquatic Ecosystem, Change in Land Ecosystem, interactions Between

Aquatic and Land Ecosystems, Interactions Between Land, Atmosphere and Ocean Ecosystems and Human dimensions. The 3rd Session was devoted to open discussion.

Major Findings and outreach

• Monitoring environmental changes occurring in terrestrial, aquatic and atmosphere ecosystems in Egypt.

• Setting short and long-term national strategy to combat and mitigate adverse impacts of global change on Egyptian environment. A new established national authority would implement the strategy.

• Developing a national network on research priorities in the field of global change and its effect on environment.

• Endorse knowledge and information exchange between Egyptian institutions and other interested national and international organizations.

• Focus on socio-economic aspects in research dealing with the consequences of global change on environment.

• Strengthen the efforts of mass media in the dissemination of popular information and knowledge on global change and its expected consequences on environment.

• Organizing local, regional and international workshops, symposiums and conferences on the impacts of global change on environment.

• Limiting new projects in industrial and urban areas, when pollutants in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide, exceeds international safe levels.

• Assessing environmental impacts in tourist regions, particularly on Egyptian shores.

• Conserving Egyptian biodiversity from the expected adverse impacts of global change.

• Considering the adverse impacts of global change on river Nile in the national plan of water use in Egypt.

• Enhancing tree cultivation everywhere.

• Start disseminating renewable sources of energy with low pollutant emissions.

Our Symposia

Second Symposium

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The 2nd Symposium on global change and its effect on Egypt

Mansoura University, Mansoura, 27th December 2005

The 2nd2nd Symposium, on global change and its effect on the environment in Egypt, organized by SCOPE & IGBP National Committee will be held in Mansoura University

on 27th December 2005 under the auspices of HE. Minster of High Education and Scientific Research and HE. State Minster of Environmental Affairs and H.E. Governor

of Dakahlia. HE President of ASRT and H.E. President of Mansoura University will chair the symposium. The Secretary general will be Prof. Dr. Mohamed Saber, Chairman of

Egyptian SCOPE & IGBP committee. The symposium will be attended by 250 of environmental scientists from universities and research institutions, mass media,

environmental executives and NGO members in the region. The program of the symposium, in two sessions, will be cover some biological aspects related to global

change. The 3rd Session will be devoted to open discussion.

Major Findings and outreach

• Development of the existing natural reserves is very vital for the sake of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

• Development of the national gene bank in Egypt, and encourage the establishment of other gene banks allover Egypt.

• Enforcement of national and international environmental legislations concerning biodiversity.

• Conserving endangered species

• Raising the environmental awareness in field of biodiversity in targeted groups.

• Considering socio-economic aspects in the use of biodiversity.

• Environmental accounting should be considered as a very useful tool to achieve sustainable use of biodiversity

• Establishment of a data base as well as a registry for biodiversity in Egypt.

• Planting and executing R&D a strategy and action plans in the different research institutions and universities in biodiversity and bioinformatics fields as well.

Our Symposia

Third Symposium

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Acute Air Pollution Episode (Black Smug)

Academy for Scientific Research and Technology, Cairo, ……….. 2008

The 3rd Symposium, on …………………………….

Major Findings and outreach

• Development ………………………….

Connections

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• Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Cairo

• National Research Center (NRC) , Behos Street, Dokki, Cairo

• Agriculture Research Center,(AGR) EL-Gamma Street , Giza

• Desert Research Institute. Mataria, Cairo

• National Oceanography Research Institute, Alexandria

• Water Research Institute, Katater-el-Khayria , Qualubia

• Faculties of Science and Faculties of Agriculture in different universities

• Egyptian Environmental Affairs Authority (EEAA) Maadi, Helwan

• Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki , Cairo

• Ministry of Water Resources & Irrigation, Cairo

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• Egypt emits moderately few greenhouse gases compared to numerous other nations: 0.34% of total worldwide fossil fuel emissions (0.36 tons/per capita).

• Egypt is the 15th most populated country in the world and extremely susceptible to negative environmental penalty of global change that would worsen existing problems and intimidate to overwhelm the country, which already is worried by population pressure and resource shortage.

• Imperative belongings of global change comprise water scarcity, food insufficiency, loss of biodiversity, sea level rise, and new pressures on human health.

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• A mean surface temperature climb has been evidenced over some Egyptian regions in the last decade and future increase ranging between 0.01 to 0.04°C annually have been predicated.

• The temperature rise is expected to reach around +4°C by the year 2060.

• If current trends in greenhouse gas emissions persist, global temperatures will rise faster over the 21st century than during the last 10,000 years and annual precipitation will decline by 10 to 40% over much of Egypt by 2100. This, in combination with increased evaporation, will increase the frequency and severity of droughts.

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• It is likely that the first impacts of global change in Egypt will be experience at the level of water resources.

• Water is already a incomplete resource in Egypt, with per capita share just below 1000 m3 annually and is thus at the edge of the so-called poverty line.

• By 2050, global change is likely to augment water demand by an average of 5% .

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• Hotter and drier circumstances would broaden the area apt to desertification northwards into new areas. Desertification would also be provoked by increases in erosion and lessening in soil fertility. The economic and human costs of an increase in desertification would be marvelous.

• Major sea level rises along the Mediterranean shoreline could brush away about one-quarter of the agricultural land of the delta and displace millions of people. Productive land in coastal areas may also be lost through flooding, saline intrusion and water-logging. Agricultural production might cease altogether over an area extending 20 km inland.

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• Probable decrease in crop harvests in key Egyptian crops as a result of global change by the year 2050 sufficiency is predictable to decline by 10-30% due to increases in temperature, precipitation, evaporation / aspiration, ultraviolet radiation, CO2 levels, and the occurrence of pests and diseases.

• Livestock production would also suffer due to reduced land quality and land availability.

Wheat Maize Sorghum Barely Rice Soybean0

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Expected decrease in crop harvests in major Egyptian crops as a result of global change by the year 2050

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• Global changes will reshape the main habitats in Egypt.

• Although Egypt is either arid or semi-arid, its exceptionally varied eco-zones subsume great diversity of habitats, fauna and flora, despite overall low species numbers. These ecosystems and habitats must be uphold to safeguard biodiversity and, inversely, species must be protected in order to conserve the ecosystems and habitats.

• As in agriculture, different wild species of plants and animals will act in a different way to global change. Some are more supple than others and may manage to migrate northwards.

• Northern coastal and low-lying areas – rich in species and subsuming mangroves and natural reefs that are among the richest in the world in terms of biodiversity – will be injured by rises in sea level and population.

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• The associated immigration of species to new areas will cause harsh socio-economic problems. Climate change will also crash marine habitats in a complex and interactive way.

• In the old valley and delta habitats, where more than 95% of Egyptians live, flooding will increase soluble salt content up to 1500 ppm in ground water, adversely impacting the inhabitants and biodiversity. As a result of sea level rise in the delta, it is expected that some damage will affect the surrounding areas adjacent to the Egyptian northern lakes, e.g., El-Manzala Lake.

• In Sinai and eastern desert habitats, marginal pasture areas will be exaggerated by expected reduced precipitation, and many cultivated areas will be prone to desertification due to water deficiency. At high altitudes, an anticipated increase in rainfall might have some minor positive effects on natural vegetation.

• In the Red Sea, a northward shift of the rain belt would rouse primary productivity in some habitats, but the reefs would be negatively pretentious. Mangrove growth, however, would be preferential by temperature rise and increased precipitation.

• In the western desert and the southern valley habitats, the expected rise in temperature will add to the water requirements of field crops and fruit trees, and a considerable number of the currently endangered species might be misplaced as coastal communities are lost and native communities invaded by competitors.

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• Coastlines and the northern delta are particularly susceptible to global change. Climate change will most certainly hurry coastal erosion. Large areas of farmland behind Alexandria and in the mid-delta are already below sea level and hence vulnerable to flooding and underground salt water intrusion that would cause catastrophic socioeconomic losses and large-scale population displacement.

• Wetland sites will face the dual threats of drying out and being inundated by seawater. Up to 85% of wetland sites in Egypt could disappear with a 3 to 4 °C rise in temperatures, which also would damage food plants and reduce waterfowl and fish populations. Fisheries and tourism are thus two additional economic activities that stand to be negatively impacted by global change.

• A 0.5 meter sea level rise in the delta would cause migration of more than two million people, loss of more than 214,000 jobs and a value loss of more than $40 billion.

• A 1 meter rise in sea level could lead Egypt to loose one percent of its land, displacing tens of millions of people and endangering the food supplies of many more.

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• The most straight health impacts in Egypt will be an increase in the incidence of asthma as higher temperatures will result in even more stern urban air pollution.

• Higher temperatures would also increase the transmission and severity of many infectious diseases.

• More frequent heat waves are predicted to result in thousands of extra deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory illness. There could also be deaths and injuries from extreme weather events (storms, heat waves).

• Food- and waterborne infective agents causing diarrhea and dysenteric infections are likely to spread more readily in warmer and wetter conditions.

• Deterioration of freshwater quality would reduce health standards and worsen epidemics. Reductions in food security would increase the risks of malnutrition and hunger for millions in Egypt..

IGBP

Thank You

www.scope.eg.net

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