413
Ramsar Convention’s objective to stop and reverse the loss and degradation of wetlands and services to people (Ramsar 2015).
13.2 Wetlands in Egypt
Wetlands are some of Egypt’s most important habitats in terms of biodiversity.
Wetlands in Egypt can be classified according to its location as demonstrated by
Baha El-Din (2002) as coastal wetlands either in the Mediterranean or Red sea and
as inland wetlands. Concerning the Mediterranean coastal wetlands, the most
important are the six major coastal lagoons on the Mediterranean: Bardawil, Malaha,
Manzala, Burullus, Edku and Mariout. The remainder of the Egyptian Mediterranean
coast is of rather limited importance. The Red Sea coastal habitats and wetlands
include mudflats, reefs, mangroves and marine islands. There are six major inland
wetland areas in Egypt: the Bitter Lakes, Wadi El Natrun, Lake Qarun, Wadi El
Rayan Lakes, Nile River and Lake Nasser. In addition, there are many smaller wetlands dispersed in the Nile delta and valley, and in oases in the Western Desert
(Baha El-Din 2002).
Wetlands in Egypt can be recognized into 14 generic types (MedwetCoast 2004):
1. The Bardawil-Manzala-Burullus-Idku, Mareotis-Mallah of Port Fouad. These
are lakes of North Egypt of different origins and ecology. They all are bird sites
and have access to the Mediterranean.
2. The Matrouh lagoons, close to the Mediterranean, and receive their water
through the narrow limestone barriers.
3. The Moghra-wadi Natrun Lakes. These are shallow depression in the northern
sector of the West Desert. They receive water from underground seepage. It is
the eastern lobe of the Qattara Depression and is lied on the western outskirts
of the Nile Delta.
4. The Qarun-Wadi Rayan lakes. These are two depressions of the West Desert.
Lake Qarun receives drainage water of the Fayoum area. Evaporation makes it
hypersaline. Wadi Rayan depression was connected to the agriculture drainage
system of the Fayoum Governorate.
5. A number of small lakes scatter in the Delta and its outskirts. Abasa in the east
and Dahshoor in the west. Abasa accommodates a fish-farming research and
training center. Dahshoor become reed swamps.
6. The Moses Springs site in south-western Sinai form patches of saline moist soil
with small ephemeral ponds, reed and rush swamps.
7. The main channel of the Nile between Aswan and Cairo embraces numerous
islands.
8. Lake Nasser is the Egyptian part of the Aswan High Dam reservoir-lake
(496 km long – total area 5000 km
2
).
9. The Mediterranean coast outside the Delta provides little room for developed
littoral salt marches.
13 Egyptian Nile Delta Coastal Lagoons: Alteration and Subsequent Restoration
Ramsar Convention’s objective to stop and reverse the loss and degradation of wetlands and services to people (Ramsar 2015).
13.2 Wetlands in Egypt
Wetlands are some of Egypt’s most important habitats in terms of biodiversity.
Wetlands in Egypt can be classified according to its location as demonstrated by
Baha El-Din (2002) as coastal wetlands either in the Mediterranean or Red sea and
as inland wetlands. Concerning the Mediterranean coastal wetlands, the most
important are the six major coastal lagoons on the Mediterranean: Bardawil, Malaha,
Manzala, Burullus, Edku and Mariout. The remainder of the Egyptian Mediterranean
coast is of rather limited importance. The Red Sea coastal habitats and wetlands
include mudflats, reefs, mangroves and marine islands. There are six major inland
wetland areas in Egypt: the Bitter Lakes, Wadi El Natrun, Lake Qarun, Wadi El
Rayan Lakes, Nile River and Lake Nasser. In addition, there are many smaller wetlands dispersed in the Nile delta and valley, and in oases in the Western Desert
(Baha El-Din 2002).
Wetlands in Egypt can be recognized into 14 generic types (MedwetCoast 2004):
1. The Bardawil-Manzala-Burullus-Idku, Mareotis-Mallah of Port Fouad. These
are lakes of North Egypt of different origins and ecology. They all are bird sites
and have access to the Mediterranean.
2. The Matrouh lagoons, close to the Mediterranean, and receive their water
through the narrow limestone barriers.
3. The Moghra-wadi Natrun Lakes. These are shallow depression in the northern
sector of the West Desert. They receive water from underground seepage. It is
the eastern lobe of the Qattara Depression and is lied on the western outskirts
of the Nile Delta.
4. The Qarun-Wadi Rayan lakes. These are two depressions of the West Desert.
Lake Qarun receives drainage water of the Fayoum area. Evaporation makes it
hypersaline. Wadi Rayan depression was connected to the agriculture drainage
system of the Fayoum Governorate.
5. A number of small lakes scatter in the Delta and its outskirts. Abasa in the east
and Dahshoor in the west. Abasa accommodates a fish-farming research and
training center. Dahshoor become reed swamps.
6. The Moses Springs site in south-western Sinai form patches of saline moist soil
with small ephemeral ponds, reed and rush swamps.
7. The main channel of the Nile between Aswan and Cairo embraces numerous
islands.
8. Lake Nasser is the Egyptian part of the Aswan High Dam reservoir-lake
(496 km long – total area 5000 km
2
).
9. The Mediterranean coast outside the Delta provides little room for developed
littoral salt marches.
13 Egyptian Nile Delta Coastal Lagoons: Alteration and Subsequent Restoration