Alexandria, Egypt: Climate Change Threatens Coastal City with Rising Sea Levels and Building Collapse

Building Collapse Crisis in Alexandria

• 🏚️ 280 buildings have collapsed in Alexandria over the past two decades, resulting in 85 fatalities.
• ⚠️ An estimated 24,000 buildings are currently at risk of collapse in the coming years due to aging infrastructure and neglect.
• 🏠 Residents continue to live in these unsafe structures, highlighting a critical housing and safety issue.

Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Foundations

• 🌊 Alexandria faces significant threats from rising sea levels, a direct consequence of climate change.
• 💧 Increased saltwater intrusion into the ground is weakening building foundations, leading to instability and collapse.
• 🌍 The city's coastal location makes it particularly vulnerable to these environmental changes.

Mitigation Efforts and Future Projections

• 🏗️ Authorities are planning to build 60,000 new houses to relocate residents from unsafe buildings.
• 🧱 Concrete barriers are being constructed along beaches to slow coastal erosion and protect the city.
• 📉 Projections suggest that by 2050, a third of Alexandria could be underwater or uninhabitable, according to the United Nations.