Egypt

"Egypt is home to the world’s longest river and one of the largest cities in Africa and the Middle East. It possesses a written record of nearly 5,000 years of human interactions with nature, longer than most other places in the world." Egypt's ecology is profoundly influenced by the Nile River, which sustains a narrow strip of fertile land along its banks, known as the Nile Valley and Delta. Dominated by arid landscapes, the country's vast deserts, including the Sahara, shape much of its terrain. Key species adapted to these arid conditions include the Egyptian cobra, Fennec fox, and various desert-adapted birds. Egypt's ecological history is deeply intertwined with the Nile. The ancient Egyptians strategically harnessed the fertile soils of the Nile Valley and Delta for agriculture, creating a rich agricultural legacy that has shaped the country's ecological history, while the arid expanses of the surrounding deserts influenced the adaptation of wildlife to survive in challenging conditions. Today, ecological threats to Egypt include challenges such as water scarcity, habitat degradation, and pollution, exacerbated by the country's rapidly growing population and industrialization.

Alan Mikhail, "Egypt’s environmental history offers a warning for COP27," The Washington Post, November 7, 2022.