Egypt is stepping up efforts to safeguard its Mediterranean coastline—particularly in the historic city of Alexandria—in response to the growing threat of climate change, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam announced on Sunday. During a meeting to assess ongoing projects, Sewilam underscored the urgent need for clear policies and practical measures to address the escalating impacts of climate change. He called for stronger coordination between executive bodies and scientific institutions, both within and beyond the ministry, to develop data-driven, systematic responses. The minister instructed key agencies—including the Shore Protection Authority, the National Water Research Center, and the Planning Sector—to maintain close monitoring of climate trends and extreme weather patterns affecting Egypt's northern coastal zones and the Nile Delta, to enable timely preventive action. According to a statement from the ministry, the first phase of the Alexandria Coast Protection Project is currently underway. It covers a 2-kilometre stretch from Bi'r Masoud to El-Mahrousa. The second phase, which spans 600 metres, is designed to reinforce the Corniche wall and roadway in the Loran district, while also restoring the adjacent sandy beach. Other initiatives include the construction of wave breakers in front of the naval forces' facility in Ras El Bar, located in Damietta Governorate, and the continuation of coastal protection works on Al-Obayed beach in Matrouh as part of a second-phase intervention. In addition, the ministry confirmed the completion of the tendering process for four new coastal protection projects targeting low-lying areas in the governorates of Beheira, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Damietta—regions considered especially vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal erosion.
