Posted on July 25, 2022
The Ministry of Environment ordered the halting of all dredging activities along the shoreline of Marassi — home to an upscale gated community in the North Coast — where a planned marina project overlooking Sidi Abdel-Rahman Bay was recently launched, over complaints of causing shoreline recession and water turbidity.
The decision was announced on Saturday evening in response to several opposing voices to the project, including residents who argued that the construction work of the marina by the UAE Emaar Group caused a recession of the shoreline and muddled the clarity of the seawater in the coastal area adjacent to the community, which is owned by Emaar Group.
Saturday’s statement also indicated that, in response to the complaints, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad formed an urgent committee to inspect the coastal areas of Marassi and its neighbouring communities — specifically Stella and The Diplomats.
After conducting a field inspection and testing the seawater for three consecutive days, the committee found above average levels of turbidity across all tested areas that were brought about by dredging activities in the area, the statement added.
Consequently, the ministry ordered the halting of all dredging activity at Marassi and has taken the necessary pledges not to resume any new work.
After halting the dredging, the committee found that the rates of turbidity concentrations gradually returned to their normal levels and that the quality of the seawater also improved.
The ministry then asserted that the environmental situation in the affected area is now safe for use by tourists and vacationers alike.
Furthermore, it said that it is coordinating with the Ministry Water Resources and Irrigation as well as officials from the affected communities to come up with an urgent solution for the receding shoreline.
The statement added that work is currently underway to prepare a report detailing both the causes and the befitting solutions for the problem, the statement noted.
Once concluded, the report will be submitted to the Higher Committee for Licensing at the irrigation ministry, which is the government body responsible for issuing licenses for any business along beaches in coordination with other relevant authorities.
The Higher Committee for Licensing is then expected to “take the appropriate decision” on the matter, the ministry added.
Egypt is currently pressing ahead with efforts to rehabilitate its shores and areas along bodies of water as part of its strategy to preserve these swathes of lands from the ramifications of climate change.
