et guide: Is Egypt vulnerable to a major earthquake?
Earthquake - file
CAIRO - 3 June 2025: Egypt among other countries felt an earthquake that struck earlier Tuesday, and its measuring recorded at a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale. No injuries or damages were reported as a result.
The Egyptian Red Crescent announced that its operations room detected an earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, at a depth of 62 km, in the Dodecanese Islands border area with Turkey, 129 km south-southeast of Aydın, Turkey, at 11:17 a.m.
The earthquake was felt by residents of Greater Cairo, the Delta, Alexandria, and Marsa Matrouh. The current situation is stable, and no reports of human or property damage have been received so far.
Egypt has felt at least three strong earthquakes in less than a month.
Is Egypt safe from destructive earthquakes?
Sherif El-Hadi, head of the Seismology Department at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, explained in previous statements that Egypt is relatively safe from destructive earthquakes compared to other areas directly located on seismic belts.
Although history indicates that the region may experience significant seismic activity in the long term, the timing of this event cannot be determined based on recent seismic activity.
Although Egyptians have felt some recent tremors, these were mostly caused by earthquakes centered outside Egypt in seismically active areas.
Egypt itself is not directly located on a seismic belt, and there is no indication that an unusually large earthquake is imminent in the near future based on these earthquakes.
Recent Earthquakes and Their Feelings in Egypt
Recently, some Egyptians have felt several earthquakes, all of which had their epicenters outside Egypt.
This includes the earthquake that occurred at 2:00 AM Cairo local time on Tuesday, centered in Turkey.
Another earthquake recently felt by Egyptians was centered south of the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. This region is known for its seismic activity, and earthquakes that occur in the Mediterranean are usually non-destructive to Egypt and do not pose any immediate threat to Egyptian territory.
The Possibility of Predicting Earthquakes
The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics confirmed that earthquakes cannot be predicted, and that the frequency of earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean region is normal, and the National Seismic Network monitors them in real-time.
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The Mediterranean was the subject of a special focus with the organisation of a Mediterranean Day event that discussed reinforcing regional identity and cooperation across the Mediterranean Basin, integrating science, policy, and innovation to build resilient marine ecosystems, and most importantly promoting sustainable blue economy practices. 'There are three billion people around the world that depend on the marine ecosystem for their livelihood, for food, jobs, energy and more,' said Dubravka Šuica, European commissioner for the Mediterranean, during the UNOC3. Achieving peace and security in the Mediterranean region is necessary in order to build climate resilience and sustainable development in a period of geopolitical uncertainties, Šuica stated, adding that the European Union is preparing a new pact for the Mediterranean to encourage cooperation on issues such as renewable energy and hydrogen, security, and the green and blue economies. IMPORTANCE: The world's oceans cover 70 per cent of the planet's surface and regulate weather patterns, harbour rich biodiversity, and enable global trade. The Mediterranean, home to over 510 million people, is now warming faster than the global average, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This 'climate hotspot' faces worsening floods, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss. 'The Mediterranean is impacted directly by the effects of climate change, as it is heating up by over 20 per cent more than the rest of the world. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent,' said France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. Egypt, which borders the Eastern Mediterranean, is already feeling the effects of this, and from rising sea levels in Alexandria to saltwater intrusion in the Nile Delta, coastal communities are under siege. The devastation caused by the recent storms in Alexandria served as a sombre example of what could take place elsewhere in the Mediterranean region throughout the conference. Warming sea temperatures in the Mediterranean are fuelling more powerful storms, and what was once deemed a 'natural disaster' is increasingly being understood as the consequence of weakened natural buffers and degraded marine ecosystems. 'As the Alexandria incident shows, extreme weather overwhelms urban drainage and hard infrastructure. Healthy marine habitats like seagrass meadows offer a lost line of defence,' noted a UNOC3 report. Without intervention, such vulnerabilities could spiral into a dangerous feedback loop, with ecosystem degradation releasing carbon, weakening coastal resilience, and inviting further destruction. For Mediterranean nations like Egypt grappling with both economic fragility and mounting climate threats, the message from the UNOC3 was clear: the future of the sea is closely linked to the future of the people living around it. Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad delivered Egypt's national statement at the UNOC3, describing the conference as a crucial global platform to rally collective efforts towards the preservation of natural resources, a cornerstone for sustaining life on Earth for present and future generations. She stressed that events in 2025 had starkly illustrated the interconnected nature of today's environmental threats. 'From rising sea levels and coral bleaching to intensifying extreme weather events and increased climate-driven migration, the global community must confront these compounding risks head-on,' Fouad stated, adding that plastic pollution, particularly in marine ecosystems, is also an escalating and urgent issue. Reaffirming Egypt's commitment to multilateral cooperation on environmental protection, Fouad outlined a range of national initiatives aimed at enhancing marine resilience and climate adaptation, including the construction of over 70 km of nature-based coastal infrastructure across five governorates, a comprehensive national climate adaptation plan developed with wide stakeholder involvement, and the rehabilitation of Egypt's northern lakes to improve livelihoods for fishing communities. Other notable efforts include the greening of strategic maritime hubs such as the ports of Damietta and Port Said, as well as key areas of the Suez Canal, alongside a seasonal ban on fishing in the Red Sea to support ecological recovery. Egypt thus took centre stage at the UNOC3 not just as a nation at risk but also as a potential regional leader in the blue transition. Nasser Kamel, secretary-general of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), emphasised that 'sustainable development is key to unlocking economic growth potential' and praised Egypt's initiative to explore artificial coral nurseries as part of marine ecosystem restoration. Marine ecosystems are frontline allies in climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, he said. Kamel praised the region's sustainable blue economy community as a global inspiration and the UfM's pioneering role in fostering political and technical dialogue. 'In the face of geopolitical unrest, the sustainable blue economy unites us despite differences,' Kamel said. 'We remain committed to leveraging our platform for 43 UfM member states and stakeholders to mobilise investment and promote sustainable, equitable development.' THE MEDITERRANEAN: Covering one per cent of the world's ocean area but hosting over 18 per cent of its marine biodiversity, the Mediterranean Sea is vital to the region. It supports the livelihoods of some 510 million people across 22 countries and generates more than $450 billion annually in revenues. Yet, it is now under severe pressure from pollution, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, and climate change. Alessandra Sensi, head of the environment and green and blue economy sector at the UfM, said that the Mediterranean region is the most affected in the world by climate change, making action to fight its effects more necessary than ever. However, despite such challenges, the region is becoming ever more united to face them, providing human, technical and financial resources to find solutions according to local priorities, she added. 'The UFM helps fundraise and attract investment from different donors to help implement the priorities which are chosen together by the members of the UFM,' she said, adding that the organisation is working to make sure that the Southern Mediterranean countries have access to more funding and opportunities for investment through an integrated approach, along with projects related to preserving ecosystems and developing a sustainable blue economy including marine litter, marine protected areas, and other initiatives such as the Blue Mediterranean Partnership (BMP), a funding mechanism born at the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference held in Egypt in 2022. The BMP was highlighted at the UFM's Mediterranean Day event at the UNOC3, and with support from donors such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Agence francaise de developpement (AFD), the German bank KfW, the Italian Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), and Spain, it aims to mobilise over €1 billion for sustainable marine projects in Southern Mediterranean countries. It targets investments in wastewater treatment, waste management, renewables and sustainable aquaculture, aiming to reduce pollution and promote sustainability. Among its inaugural initiatives is a wastewater treatment project in Alexandria backed by €2 million in technical assistance. Spain formally signed an €8.5 million contribution to the BMP at the conference. In addition to the wastewater facility in Alexandria, the Fund is also supporting Morocco's first offshore wind farm and coral ecosystem restoration in Jordan. 'The early-stage support [that the fund supplies] is crucial,' said Andrea Tinagli, principal advisor at the EIB. 'Technical assistance helps projects become bankable and attract larger future investments.' The signing occurred at a UfM-led event on 'Charting the Path towards the Sustainable Blue Economy: the Mediterranean leading the Way' held on the UNOC3 Mediterranean Day. It highlighted the region's role in advancing the use of sustainable marine resources to promote socioeconomic development. Sara Aagesen, Spain's minister for the ecological transition, said during the UNOC3's Mediterranean Day event that the Mediterranean is a hub of biodiversity and provides livelihoods for millions of people. It needs collaborative work to ensure the urgent protection of its marine ecosystem and in turn to ensure food security, she said, adding that 'we live at a critical moment, demanding a serious plan to safeguard current and future generations.' Since the 2015 UfM Ministerial Declaration on the Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE) and its 2021 follow-up, more than €500 million has been mobilised for over 250 regional projects. Launched at the COP27 in Egypt and reinforced at the COP28 in Dubai, the BMP fosters early-stage support to attract private-sector investment in fully bankable projects, explained Camilla Otto, director of donor co-financing at the EBRD. She highlighted the BMP's role in creating enabling environments through strategy, policy, and regulatory framework development. 'The cost of inaction will be far greater than the cost of investment,' she said. 'Blue finance helps ensure marine projects are not just dreams, but deliverables.' Adoni Herrera-Martinez, EBRD's director of environment and sustainability, stressed the importance of policy and regulatory reforms to accelerate nature-based solutions and boost sustainable blue economy investment. 'The BMP connects all stakeholders to realise a sustainable blue economy,' said Ewa Manik, associate director at the EBRD. 'It reduces risk and cost through technical assistance and capacity building.' Delilah Al Khudhairy, director of Maritime Policy and Blue Economy at the European Commission, said that 'the Mediterranean Sea is setting the path for the sustainable blue economy, and we need to unlock the financial support needed,' adding that the BMP strengthened ties with the EU's Southern Neighbourhood Countries. With the Mediterranean's blue economy projected to double its €1.5 trillion value by 2030, balancing development and conservation is a central challenge. But tourism, maritime transport, and fisheries, all pillars of this economy, face immense pressure. CLIMATE POLICY: Two key scientific reports from the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) pointed to this urgency. The first explored coastal risks, highlighting the fact that one third of the Mediterranean's population lives near the sea and faces direct threats from rising waters and storms. The second focused on the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus, warning that water demand could double or triple by 2050 in the region. Loïc Fauchon, president of the World Water Council (WWC), noted the potential of desalination in producing more fresh water. 'The cost of this has dropped significantly from $20 to just 30 cents per cubic metre. This is a game-changer for water-scarce nations like Egypt,' he said. 'We should not separate land and sea when we talk about action for the marine ecosystem in the Mediterranean region. We need to have water for agriculture. The demographics of the region need to be taken into consideration while the region is impacted by touristic and demographic pressure,' Fauchon stated. Among the most significant developments at the UNOC3 was the near ratification of the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) that would establish legal authority to create marine protected areas in international waters. With over 55 countries already on board and just five short of the 60 needed, the treaty is expected to enter into force by early 2026. Other major outcomes included a political declaration, the 'Nice Ocean Action Plan,' outlining commitments on fisheries, pollution, and sustainable finance. As Egypt positions itself at the nexus of regional marine action, the message from the Nice Conference was clear: the cost of inaction would be far too high for the future of the world's seas and oceans. 'The sustainable blue economy unites us despite our differences,' said UfM Secretary-General Nasser Kamel. 'Now is the time to act, not only for the sea, but also for the people who depend on it.' Fouad closed her speech to the conference with a clarion call. 'The Mediterranean Sea unites us. It is our shared responsibility to pursue ambitious and practical actions to safeguard our water resources and marine ecosystems,' she said. * A version of this article appears in print in the 19 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
