Erosion Crisis: Alexandria's Vanishing Foundations
Alexandria, Egypt, faces a soaring number of building collapses due to climate change effects like rising sea levels and coastal erosion. Efforts to mitigate these impacts include building concrete barriers, but challenges persist as the city's population and property demands grow.
From her ninth-floor balcony overlooking Alexandria's seafront, Eman Mabrouk observed the stark changes to the beach of her childhood memories. Today, the relentless advance of the sea, enhanced by longer concrete barriers, has contributed to the collapse of numerous buildings in Egypt's historic second city.
A recent study highlights that the Mediterranean's warming waters, a result of climate change, exacerbate coastal erosion in Alexandria. This phenomenon is leading to the deterioration of building foundations, causing a significant rise in collapses over the past decade, according to water scientist Essam Heggy.
Efforts by Egyptian authorities to counteract these impacts include constructing submerged breakwaters and demolishing at-risk buildings. However, with the city's population surging and property prices rising, the threat remains urgent and ongoing, leaving residents like Mabrouk to contend with the visible and lasting consequences.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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