What climate change is doing to Egypt's weather: the temperature is rising.

More extreme temperatures and heatwaves

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority said that over the last few decades, the normal temperature in Egypt has been going up all the time. It has been seen that the country is warming up faster than the rest of the world. In the summer, temperatures regularly rise above 40°C (104°F).

Recent rises in temperature along with data from the past

Egypt's temperatures have been going up for the past 100 years. Studies of climate say that since the late 1800s, the normal temperature has gone up by about 2°C. But in the last few decades, especially in cities, the rate at which these temperatures are growing has become more worrisome. Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and Aswan have all had temperatures that are higher than usual, breaking records for heatwaves.

In some places, heatwaves have been getting longer and stronger, and some places have had to deal with them for weeks on end. The world's temperature has changed a lot because of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, cutting down trees, and farming methods that are bad for the environment.

What do people think will happen in the future?

Ancient climate records show that Egypt's temperatures will always be going up if the country doesn't put limits on emissions. According to research by the IPCC, Egypt's temperatures could rise by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century. This would make some parts of the country so hot that they could not be lived in at all.

Water Resources and Effects on Agriculture

Egypt gets most of its water and crops from the Nile River. But as temperatures rise, more water evaporates, using up this valuable resource even faster. Extreme heat is also a big problem for farming, food stability, and the country's ability to stay alive.

"The Nile River and Lack of Water"

Egypt is already considered to have a water shortage because each person only gets 500 cubic meters of water a year. This amount is a lot less than the 1000 cubic meters per person water poverty level. Climate change makes things even worse by raising the temperatures of the Nile River, reservoirs, and irrigation canals, which speeds up the rate at which water evaporates. This extra loss makes it harder to get resources that are already in short supply, especially for farming and household purposes.

Egypt's water security is also made worse by the building of dams upstream, like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Because of climate change, it might rain less in the Ethiopian Highlands. This could slow down the flow of the Nile, putting even more pressure on Egypt's already limited water supplies.

Effects on the economy and food supply

Solar electricity and irrigation are very important to Egypt's agriculture. Farmers, who depend on irrigation a lot, use more than 85% of the water that comes into the country. When there is less water available, crops like wheat, corn, and rice are more likely to be damaged. Extreme heat will shorten the time that plants can grow, lower their output, and even change the nutrients that the plants contain. In agricultural settings, heat-induced stress lowers the amount of water in the soil, increases the number of pests, decreases fertilization, and lowers the amount of water in the soil. All of these things make farming hard and expensive.

It has an equal effect on refining fruits and veggies for both domestic use and export. In the delta area of Egypt, some mango and citrus orchards have seen their yields drop because of changes in the pattern of rainfall and too much heat.

"The Urban Heat Island Effect."

The urban heat island effect makes the moving temperatures worse in places with lots of people, like Cairo and Alexandria. Building with concrete, paving over areas with asphalt roads, and limiting the growth of plants keeps heat in, making cities warmer than country areas.

What Causes Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) and What They Do

When compared to rural areas, places with lots of people, like towns, keep heat in better. This can be due to the combustion of gasoline and oil-using vehicles and the electricity generated from fossil fuels in industries, places of work, and schools. During summer, urban areas experience soaring temperatures due to a lack of vegetation, which makes cooling through evapotranspiration, which is essential in sustaining ecosystem-friendly development, significantly weaker. This contributes directly to increased consumption of Kyoto cooling gas CFC, which leads to the degradation of the ozone layer, leading to more greenhouse emissions, obsolescing the ecosystem.

Ways to Mitigate the UHI Effect

Addressing global warming and the related challenges of solar heating, Egypt has been advocating the use of green roofs, reflective materials for siding in buildings, and fostering the growth of trees and lawns in urban centers. Projects such as the “Green Cairo Initiative” are designed to enhance vegetation in urban spaces.

Health Issues Concerning the Public

Long periods of exposure to high temperatures may result in severe medical complications, especially for old people, young children, or people having some existing health issues.

Heat-Related Illnesses

As temperatures rise, the prevalence of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration is becoming more common. Exposure to prolonged extreme heat may worsen chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and kidney disease.

Air Quality Deterioration

High temperatures also worsen air quality by increasing ground-level ozone smog pollution. Poor air quality exacerbates existing respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis, especially in polluted metropolitan areas such as Cairo.

Government Initiatives and Adaptation Strategies

To mitigate the impacts of climate change, the Egyptian government has started taking efforts to address climate change.

Renewable Energy Investments

The country aims to produce 42% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2035, which will lower fossil fuel use. Egypt is increasing investment in renewable energy and developing solar and wind projects, including building the Benban Solar Park in Aswan, one of the largest solar photovoltaic plants in the world.

Climate Adaptation Strategies

The Egyptian government launched the 2050 Climate Change Strategy, which focuses on climate adaptation strategies including afforestation, urban planning, and strengthening infrastructure to resist extreme temperatures.

Community Awareness and Engagement


Egypt has been receiving a lot of attention and educational programs related to climate change and its consequences. Media campaigns and community initiatives focus on the proper advocation of energy, water, and overall practice conservation along with informing citizens about sustainability.

Climate change has put hyper-volatile stressors of extreme heat across Egypt and is getting exacerbated by climate change across multiple sectors such as agriculture, water body resources, urban regions, construction and development, and public well-being. Although existing government climate movements and adaptive approaches do their best, aggressive actions to harness acceleration of temperature increase require more focus. Mitigation of climate change requires a package of regulations and policies formulated and handled at the central level alongside the development and deployment of innovative technology on one hand and society's climate consciousness elevation with global partnership on the other hand. As the country progresses, changing, evolving, and emerging proactively put into place systematic, step-focused mitigation alongside adaptation peers approach will need to handle rooted people, crown jewels of the nation's economy, and protect the environment from ultra-volatile threats posed by extreme exhaustion of water resources coupled with surging heat index border temperatures.