Concrete information regarding a possible massive landfill of the River Nile in Cairo are few and far between. Jennifer Evans reports The plan to expand a 3.8km section of the Nile Corniche running from Maspero to the Qasr Al- Nil bridge in an effort to alleviate heavy traffic may begin in as little as four months' time pending the completion of an environmental impact study. While the ministries involved -- housing and transportation -- maintain the project could assuage traffic congestion by up to 40 per cent in greater Cairo whilst simultaneously promoting tourism into the area, forward-thinking environmentalists say what the government is actually promoting is a temporary solution to a potentially permanent problem. "The Nile River is not the solution of the traffic stagnation in Cairo," says Magdi Allam, environmental expert and chief of the Infrastructure Committee of the Cairo Council. "Any environmentalist in Egypt is interested in moving activities out of Cairo so if you add more buses and cars, what will the result be?" he asks. Like many other concerned citizens, Allam worries about how the project will effect the Nile in the long run. "In 100 years' time, I'm afraid there will be another proposal to extend the surface of the road. It's a continuous series that won't stop. If every time a proposal is made to extend the road due to traffic, eventually there won't be any Nile," he says. Allam says that the treatment of the River Nile, its tributaries, natural channels and mud must not be subjected to human interference in order to keep the river and its marine life from further damage. "We would like to see the greater Cairo area as an area closed to development. So, this is an initial mistake to concentrate the activities downtown," he asserts. The ministries argue that the addition of a ramp deferring traffic over the Nile will alleviate the traffic congestion suffered by Cairo's commuters, who spend upwards of 30 minutes trying to pass through the Maspero to Magra Al-Uyoun section of the Corniche daily. But, environmentalists maintain that while Cairenes may enjoy the honeymoon effect of extra lanes on their daily commute, they must think about the effect of the project not only in the short-term but must look to the bigger picture. "In the future, when the space is again too narrow to accommodate traffic, when the traffic jams surface, well, we must realise that we are creating a solution that, in the end, will recreate the problem. We must have more foresight than that and look to the future," says Mohamed Nagui, an environmental activist with the Habi Centre for Environmental Rights. IMMEDIATE IMPACTS: So far the government has not released any information regarding the possible effects such a project could have on the environs of the River Nile. No study or factual information has been released and so environmentalists and experts in the field of natural sciences have begun to draw their own conclusions. "An important point to consider is that construction will have to be accommodated by its own lane, thereby creating more traffic congestion besides the ever-present pollution problem," says Nagui. This point is a valid concern as a project of this scale could take an estimated 18 months to complete. In order to quell the congestion problem a year and a half worth of construction would cause, suggestions surfaced of using the Nile itself to transport construction materials rather than via road. However, environmental expert Allam believes that though this solution may be environmentally sound, it is an unlikely possibility saying, "this phenomenon already exists to a great degree in the transportation of materials from Cairo to Aswan and Upper Egypt through the River Nile so new activity won't be an intrusion. It would be my guess, however, that this won't be done because the trade contractor will have to use the land rather than the river to transport materials." There are also concerns about the loss of many of the ancient trees currently rooted along the Corniche. Allam stresses, "if the project goes through there will likely be some cases of cutting trees but we did deliver notice obligating the government to replace or re-cultivate the trees according to size and type. If those actions are not executed, we will take legal sanction against the contractors." As to the future of the Corniche's pedestrian walkway, experts say they won't know its fate for at least four months. "My own impression is that there must be a consideration of the cost, protection of the buffer zone which is the area between the Nile's water and the road, the water quality itself and how it will be affected due to construction," says Allam. ON THE NILE'S SIDE? The Ministries involved -- including the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation -- insist that the environmental impact of the project will be weighed carefully and will favour the best outcome for the Nile. "Every project has its positives and negatives," says Hussein El-Atfi, undersecretary of the minister of water resources and irrigation. "We have to see if the positives outweigh the negatives and consider them in a final balance. If we find the impacts too great, the project won't go ahead," he maintains. "A committee between the ministries of water and irrigation, transportation, housing and the environment as well as the Hydraulics and Nile institutes is in place to complete the Environmental Impact Assessment required by Law 4/1994 to develop projects along the Nile," he adds. In response to environmentalists' concerns about the impact the estimated first LE700-900 million first phase of a possible three-phase project will have on the river, El-Atfi says he knows no more than the rest of the general public. "There is still no clear picture," he says. "We are using integrated studies to finalise the picture which should be completed within four months and, believe me, the study is very in depth. A physical model simulating nature is being established in the laboratory. With a clear picture, we can decide and, of course, the study will be available to the public and media." Said Halil, chair of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) will be one of the first to see the Environmental Impact Assessment required by Law 4/1994 outlining the effects of the Corniche expansion project on the Nile after the ministries themselves. However, he had little to say preferring to maintain a low profile. "The plan is under investigation and we are awaiting the EIA. Only then will our goals come to light," he offered. Neither the ministers' representatives nor environmental experts were able to concretely substantiate the figures published in the daily Al-Wafd, published by the Wafd Party, last week indicating the project could reclaim up to two per cent of the Nile nor confirm the loss of upwards of 300,000 cubic metres of water space. Again, they stressed that facts will come to light within a few months. PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY: Given the covertness of information about the project, many reject the ministries' notions of a promised transparency and public accountability upon the release of the study. "The proposal needs to be discussed amongst all the ministries as well as the Cairo Governorate and this is what we lack; a way for all to come together and discuss policies and decisions," says Tareq Genena, director of the Technical Office for the Environment and former Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency official. "But, this doesn't happen. For them to sit down and discuss a coordinated plan openly and transparently with the public and those interested is unlikely. But, in fact, there is nothing in the law that requires them to do so," he notes. So far the governor of Cairo told reporters last week that he was not amenable to the idea of landfilling the Nile to expand the Corniche. And while the public waits for concrete information regarding the project rumour has it that this is in fact an old project involving the interests of a recently inaugurated five-star hotel on the Corniche at the time it was being built under prime minister Kamal El-Ganzouri. According to the rumour, El-Ganzouri refused the project and agreed with the hotel owners that they would construct a tunnel at their own expense to solve the traffic congestion problem at their front door. It is being suggested that the hotel owners are taking advantage of a new government to try and push their original plan through once again. None of this, however, could be substantiated by Al-Ahram Weekly. "We only have one Nile so we can't fill it in or have a road running over it!" says Nagui decidedly. "If there is any architectural plan for the project, there should be a public announcement as well as a debate but there is not. There should be a public forum where everyone: those living in Cairo, outside and internationally, can see it." Nagui adds with incredulity, "the message is not clear at all from the ministries of irrigation and environment. We are talking about filling the Nile here, and the minister of the environment says he can't speak about the matter because they are waiting for the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study!?" "I can see there is a real disagreement between the ministries and environmentalists," he concludes. In response to the issue of public concern about the impact of the project, the Ministry of Irrigation's El-Atfi offered the following statement: "The public knows everything they need to know. The project is still under study so there is nothing to tell." WHO'S PROTECTING THE NILE? There are laws in place for the protection of the Nile. Specifically Law 48/1982 that states that no one can engage in activities that adversely affect the Nile, its banks and soil. "Though Law 48 does state that no one can misuse the Nile or change the flow of the natural water channels, I don't think there is any law that says that the river banks are protected," says Genena, also president of an environmental consultants firm. "But, in the end, the Ministry of Irrigation has a definite say in Law 48," he adds. With this in mind and no official architectural plan to look to as yet, speculation abounds. Two schools of thought exist on the plan itself: that the project will encroach the Nile's already narrow shores especially in areas close to the Qasr Al-Nil Bridge by adding up to two lanes of traffic or that a bridge style ramp will run overtop essentially blocking the public's ability to actually see the Nile from the roadway. Allam, says he must trust the ministers until the study is released but adds, "we are environmentalists who reject engineering interference with the Nile's water, mud, sand and soil." However, like other environmentally conscious Cairenes, Allam knows that his concerns will have to be put on the back burner until the EIA is completed. "Whether there is a violation of Law 48 cannot be decided until the report comes out detailing if the expansion project is an infringement of the law or not," adds Allam. "If it is, there are two options: either modify or cancel the project." But, Genena, formerly with the EEAA, says that even if the study details negative impacts on the Nile, it's highly unlikely the project would be stopped, saying, "Though alternatives should be identified in the EIA and discussed; usually this doesn't happen and the alternatives given in the report are often logistical impossibilities that allow the project to go through as is." He adds, "with projects like this, the EEAA will receive pressure from the interested parties and if a government authority wants a project to go ahead, they may bias the EIA in favour of the project and this is what needs to be avoided." ATTACK ON THE NILE? And to those who call the proposed expansion "an attack on the Nile", El-Atfi laughs. "Look, the environmental people are there indeed and looking at this project also. They differ from the technical people and the community. Let the technical people work and after we will see how it goes with their conclusions." But forward-thinking citizens insist that the gap between the stances of the ministries and environmentalists is no laughing matter. "There is barely anything positive to say about this project and those things that are good about it are right under your feet. Those involved aren't even looking two steps ahead," asserts Nagui. Looking to the bigger picture and beyond the differences between the two sides, Allam adds, "This is more than just about the environment. It's about history, nature and we must respect the views of the experts, citizens and media." In his personal opinion, Allam says, "the only solution is to leave the Nile as it is, using it as a river transport system only and not as a road." "We are preparing a pamphlet outlining the experts' opinions for the national organisations concerned. If there is any sign that they have started work on the project, we will begin judicial proceedings and take it as far as we can," asserts Nagui. "We don't have a hundred River Niles. We just have one. It's for our children's life. If we don't stand to protect our life, then God will pay us back."
