Shoreline Alteration Rate and Urbanization in the Burullus Region

Abstract

Egyptian cities have faced several challenges since the start of this new millennium; rapid population growth, urban decay at the expense of available shelter, and services, degradation of infrastructure and land, downgrade of the environment, social structure, and the economy in general, are all factors that have led to unsustainable living. The Burullus region, located in the Northern part of the Egypt delta, is an active commercial and administrative hub. It is one of the five protectorate lakes of Egypt which accommodates both a recreational summer resort and a poorer all-year residence. The lake has faced, across time, several changes in respect to the surrounding cities, which in turn impacted dramatically the shore. The changes that happened to the land use and land footprint have changed the shoreline and will, eventually, lead to many environmental and urban problems as well. Many actions should be taken when thinking about future extensions of cities that have natural edges like Lake Burullus and huge agricultural lands, and the aforementioned challenges will face existing communities, as well as, extend with respect to the surrounding areas leading consequently to the change of the identity of the area at large. This paper focuses on the importance of urban development and urban solutions of the cities surrounding Lake Burullus as well as the shoreline protection and implementation policies to optimize deterioration of shoreline, taking into consideration the importance of rural regeneration and its impact on this area. It also highlights a list of actions for successful lake upgrading steps based on the experiences reviewed and concludes that the success of the development of shoreline depends on several factors and that metropolitan planning should cover problems across urban and peri-urban areas and address multijurisdictional issues.