Environmental Changes in Lake Mariout and Assessing its Socioeconomic Impacts

Abstract

Alexandria city, which consider one of the oldest cities on th e Mediterranean coast, it extends over an effecti ve part of the Egyptian coastal zone. Alexandria coast extends from EI-Agamy in the west to Abu-Qir Bay in the east belongs to 42km fannin g varies beac h es and h arbors. Alexandria beaches represent the main summer tourist resort of Egypt. Alexandtiit harbors are the most important import/ex port link between Egypt and Europe. Lake Mariout. Manza la, Borullus a nd Idku are four large shall ow lakes which lie along the Egyptian Delta and a short distance from the Mediterranean Coast. They all are brackish with waters of vari ous degrees u r

salinity. Lake Mariout i s the small est one o f the four which fonns th e southern boundary of Alexandria City and it extends for 80km al ong th e north west coast of Al exandri a and 30 km south. It is recof:T. Jlized a s a valuable natural resource. It h as changed in area, and in condition. over time. The change results from a vari ety of conditions that in clude rubble pollution problems, fluctuating water level and other causes. Th ese changes ha,•e triggered changes in land use and subsequent changes of soci al, econ o mic, and ecological conditions specially in the main basin of the Lake Mariout which is used as a receiving basin of the drainage water for the m ost of agricultural lands of the eastem side of Alexandria and Beheira provin ce. The main basin of the Lake is considered the most polluted portion of the Lake.