LAST winter, a fierce storm caused part of the Corniche fence at Al-Asafra and Al- Mandara beaches in Alexandria to collapse. The repair and extension of the Corniche has cost the city LE360 million, more than twice the estimated amount, as well as some of its historic beaches. Many of the plans devised by the governorate to deal with this crises and manage the beaches are damaging the environment, critics say. "The process of leasing and restoring Alexandria's beaches is being pursued without the prerequisite environmental-assessment studies," said Mohamed El-Geindi, chairperson of the Friends of the Environment Association in Alexandria and board member of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA). "To date these projects have been conceptualised and implemented without referring to the National Organisation for Beach Protection or the EEAA," said el-Geindi. This lack of oversight violates the environmental protection law and will continue to have dire effects on the quality of Alexandria's beaches, which are increasingly suffering from climate change and erosion, he explained.
