Agricultural Production in Egypt: Assessing Vulnerability …
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water for animals; soils salinization due to sea level rise in the North of Delta and
over exploitation of ground water; in addition to degradation of range land due to
overgrazing, and cultivation of marginal lands.
In addition to the harmful heat stress impacts on animals’ productivity, new animal
diseases appeared in Egypt causing serious negative impacts on livestock production,
such as the blue tongue disease and rift valley fever. With regards to the feed production, availability of fodder is subject to decrease due to climate change impacts on
crops productivity, and the increasing competition over the land and water resources
between fodder and cereal crops. In this respect Habeeb et al. [29] reported that
exposure of animals to heat stress causes a series of drastic changes in the biological functions, including decrease in feed intake, feed efficiency and utilization,
disturbances in water, protein, energy and mineral balances, enzymatic activities,
hormonal secretions and blood metabolites ending to impairment the productive and
reproductive performance.
4.4 The Vulnerability of the Fishery Production System
According to FAO [30], climate change impacts the fisheries and aquaculture sectors
either direct physical effects of changing sea levels, flooding and storms patterns,
or through biological and ecological responses to physical changes (e.g. productivity, species abundance, ecosystem stability, stock locations, pathogen levels and
impacts). These impacts are expected to affect fishers, fish farmers and coastal inhabitants through their impact on livelihoods, changes in the availability and quality of
fish for food, and through rising risks to human health, safety and homes.
FAO report which summaries the findings of the fifth assessment of the
intergovernmental panel on climate change [16], suggested that:
• Ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are linked
to continuous stratification, rising temperatures, changes in pH values, reduced O 2
concentration, and subsequent effects on corals and the primary production and
larger commercially valuable fish stocks.
• Increasing temperatures, algal bloom changes in the diversity of zooplankton and
the “tropicalization” of the fauna have been observed in the Mediterranean.
• Several northern African countries that border the Mediterranean and Red Seas
including Egypt are especially vulnerable to physical and chemical climate drivers
and are heating up much faster than the global mean ocean temperature due to their
shallow physical structure and their land-locked location.
• The catch potential in 28 locations around the Meditation and the Red Sea
(including Egypt) is expected to reduce by as high as 50%.
Egypt’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk
Reduction [3], reported that, there is a chance that the water of the northern lakes in
Egypt may change, due to the rise in temperature and intrusion of the sea water from
the Mediterranean Sea as a result of its level rise. This may cause destruction and
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water for animals; soils salinization due to sea level rise in the North of Delta and
over exploitation of ground water; in addition to degradation of range land due to
overgrazing, and cultivation of marginal lands.
In addition to the harmful heat stress impacts on animals’ productivity, new animal
diseases appeared in Egypt causing serious negative impacts on livestock production,
such as the blue tongue disease and rift valley fever. With regards to the feed production, availability of fodder is subject to decrease due to climate change impacts on
crops productivity, and the increasing competition over the land and water resources
between fodder and cereal crops. In this respect Habeeb et al. [29] reported that
exposure of animals to heat stress causes a series of drastic changes in the biological functions, including decrease in feed intake, feed efficiency and utilization,
disturbances in water, protein, energy and mineral balances, enzymatic activities,
hormonal secretions and blood metabolites ending to impairment the productive and
reproductive performance.
4.4 The Vulnerability of the Fishery Production System
According to FAO [30], climate change impacts the fisheries and aquaculture sectors
either direct physical effects of changing sea levels, flooding and storms patterns,
or through biological and ecological responses to physical changes (e.g. productivity, species abundance, ecosystem stability, stock locations, pathogen levels and
impacts). These impacts are expected to affect fishers, fish farmers and coastal inhabitants through their impact on livelihoods, changes in the availability and quality of
fish for food, and through rising risks to human health, safety and homes.
FAO report which summaries the findings of the fifth assessment of the
intergovernmental panel on climate change [16], suggested that:
• Ecosystems of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are linked
to continuous stratification, rising temperatures, changes in pH values, reduced O 2
concentration, and subsequent effects on corals and the primary production and
larger commercially valuable fish stocks.
• Increasing temperatures, algal bloom changes in the diversity of zooplankton and
the “tropicalization” of the fauna have been observed in the Mediterranean.
• Several northern African countries that border the Mediterranean and Red Seas
including Egypt are especially vulnerable to physical and chemical climate drivers
and are heating up much faster than the global mean ocean temperature due to their
shallow physical structure and their land-locked location.
• The catch potential in 28 locations around the Meditation and the Red Sea
(including Egypt) is expected to reduce by as high as 50%.
Egypt’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk
Reduction [3], reported that, there is a chance that the water of the northern lakes in
Egypt may change, due to the rise in temperature and intrusion of the sea water from
the Mediterranean Sea as a result of its level rise. This may cause destruction and