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Land Use in Egypt’s Coastal Lakes: Opportunities and Challenges

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Egyptian Coastal Lakes and Wetlands: Part I

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 71))

Abstract

Coastal lakes in Egypt are very important for the wetlands they support in North Africa. They contain five of the most productive wetland ecosystems in the world. The Nile Delta lakes, which are located along the Mediterranean coast, are very important economically because of fish production, which makes up nearly 50% of Egypt’s production. These lakes are vital to the livelihoods in these areas. However, these lakes are suffering from degradation and environmental stress. The total area of many of these lakes is decreased because of drying and reclamation for agriculture. Furthermore, increased pollution and ecological risks are affecting these vital and valuable lakes. One of the biggest issues is the discharging of agricultural drainage, industrial waste, and domestic waste water into these wetlands. In addition, these lakes are vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change such as rising sea level and saltwater intrusion. The coastal lakes in Egypt are very important and vital to ecosystems and need continuous monitoring and good management practices.

Coastal lakes can have a significant impact on the surrounding agricultural areas through waterlogging, secondary salinization, and groundwater pollution. In this chapter, the authors will provide an overview of the coastal lakes in Egypt, the main challenges, and how to manage these challenges for the sustainability of these lakes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Laboratory of Environmental Studies, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt

    Fathy Elbehiry

  2. Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

    M. A. Mahmoud

  3. Water and Water Structures Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Abdelazim M. Negm

Authors
  1. Fathy Elbehiry
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  2. M. A. Mahmoud
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  3. Abdelazim M. Negm
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. A. Mahmoud .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

    Abdelazim M. Negm

  2. Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Mohamed Ali Bek

  3. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sommer Abdel-Fattah

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Elbehiry, F., Mahmoud, M.A., Negm, A.M. (2018). Land Use in Egypt’s Coastal Lakes: Opportunities and Challenges. In: Negm, A., Bek, M., Abdel-Fattah, S. (eds) Egyptian Coastal Lakes and Wetlands: Part I . The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 71. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2018_250

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