| Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Location |
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| National websites |
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| Embassy / Chancery in U.S. |
1666 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 440 Washington, DC 20009 |
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| Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation |
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| Non-governmental organizations concerned with conservation | |||||||||||||||||||
| Major Natural Resources | The Nile River is the only perennial source of freshwater in Egypt. It is, therefore, Egypt's most precious and most important natural resource. Egypt is a major stop along the path of many migratory birds; in fact, the country has no endemic species of birds. Bird varieties that migrate through and live in the area of Egypt include eagles, ibis, and vultures, all of which depend, either directly or indirectly, on the Nile and its viability. Many of Egypt's mammals are big game cats, such as cheetahs and lions. They depend on the Nile for water and as a supply of food for their prey. The people of Egypt depend on the Nile as their main source of water for agriculture and farming. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Major Environmental and Conservation Issues | Much of Egypt's agricultural land is being lost to increasing urbanization and because of sand blown in from the desert by Egypt's harsh wind. Agricultural land is also lost to the extreme desertification occurring in Egypt, which is the major problem not only in Egypt but also throughout Northern Africa. Soil salinization is also increasing in areas below the Aswan High Dam. Threats to coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats are posed by oil pollution. Agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents also cause water pollution. Apart from the Nile, the only water source reliable year after year, there are very few resources of natural fresh water in Egypt. And, the rapid growth in the human population is, as always, increasing the strain on the nation's natural resources. Egypt only protects less than 1% of its total area, far below the ideal global target of 10%. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Land area | 995,450 sq. km | http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/eg.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Area of forest | 34,000 ha | http://www-cger.nies.go.jp/geo1/fig/fig2_2.htm | |||||||||||||||||
| Area of wetlands | |||||||||||||||||||
| Area of territorial waters | 6,000 sq. km | http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/eg.html#geo | |||||||||||||||||
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| Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels: | 793,200 ha | Fraction of land area protected (%): | 0.79% | ||||||||||||||||
| Major Protected Areas |
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| Endemic Species |
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| Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species |
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World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | |||||||||||||||||
| Extinct Species |
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World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | |||||||||||||||||
| Species listed on CITES Appendices | CITES-listed Species Database | ||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered or threatened species | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered ecosystems | International Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Drought and/or Desertification Particularly in Africa (7/7/95) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to CITES |
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| Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention |
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| Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity |
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| Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty |
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| Member of International Whaling Commission |
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International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships as modified by the Protocol of 1978 Amendment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (art. XI) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution from Land-Based Sources Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and of the Gulf of Aden Environment Protocol concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas Protocol to amend the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea International Tropical Timber Agreement Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer Convention on Biological Diversity International Tropical Timber Agreement International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds |
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| Natural Resource Use | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fisheries |
Marine fish catch = 95,356 tonnes (1993) |
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs_afri.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Forestry / deforestation |
18,600 cubic meters exported, worth $1,061,000 |
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs_afri.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Ecotourism | |||||||||||||||||||
| Trade in wildlife products | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hunting | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other uses of natural resources | |||||||||||||||||||
| Human Impacts on Natural Resources | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Air pollution |
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| Water pollution |
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| Development activities | |||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced species | |||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation addressing these issues | |||||||||||||||||||
| Restoration and Reintroduction | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Programs for restoration of damaged habitat | |||||||||||||||||||
| Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species | |||||||||||||||||||
Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World
Page compiled by Matt Hauske as part of a class project in h90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA