About Parks Egypt

Parks Egypt covers more than 14% of the country with 27 protected areas representing ecologically diverse habitats and regions, including geological formations, cultural heritage sites, biodiversity hotspots and landscapes of outstanding natural beauty.

Protected areas are a fundamental tool used worldwide for protecting natural resources, creating a buffer and a refuge against the rising tide of human impacts. In addition to preserving outstanding examples of natural habitats and providing refuges for endangered species of plants and animals, they also play an increasingly important role in social and economic development.

Egypt has exceptional wild resources – coral reefs, spectacular desert ecosystems, rich fossil deposits and vast bird migrations. Therefore, the Nature Conservation Sector (NCS) of Egypt is committed to maintaining its healthy, well-managed and ecologically representative family of protected areas, Parks Egypt. Furthermore, the NCS is committed to managing wild resources outside these areas sustainably, for the benefit of the people living on the land with the resources.

At present, Parks Egypt covers more than 14% of the country's land and marine areas and includes a representative range of habitats and physiographic regions, along with other sites of importance such as biodiversity hotspots, cultural heritage sites, geological formations and landscapes of outstanding natural beauty.

According to Egypt’s National System Plan for Protected Areas, Parks Egypt is projected to cover 180,000 km² or about 18% of the country by 2017. Proposed areas have been identified and evaluated according to the inherent value of the resource and the degree of threat to which it is exposed. The value of a site is judged by its integrity, significance for biodiversity conservation, contribution to the network of features not yet represented, and the site's potential for generating direct financial benefit for the nation and society.

Protected areas have been the backbone and main instrument for nature conservation in Egypt over the past twenty years. The protection of critical habitats by establishing and managing Parks Egypt, a national family of protected areas, has proven to be the most effective and efficient tool for preserving Egypt's natural heritage and resources on a sustainable basis.