Notes Before Delving into the Topic
After extracting the "functional oils," the yield per acre increases by over 600%. This analysis positions the region as a prime candidate for establishing a "medicinal plant free economic zone" that serves international markets and protects the country's rights against "biological plunder."
The Peridot
The region holds strategic importance as it is the historical home of the world's finest peridot stones, which once adorned the crowns of European monarchs
The Mount Elba lies on Egypt's southeastern border, encompassing vast mineral, plant, and marine resources. However, the region faces environmental degradation in the strategic Foll Bay, where overfishing depletes the country's subsidized fuel reserves and destroys billions of dollars' worth of environmental assets for meager fish yields.
Some violations observed in Elba reserves today
Billions lost in “Fol Bay”... Suez cannons practice systematic plowing of reefs
Gold veins in “Ibaib” and “Al-Abraq” await a sovereign decision to maximize added value
The plants of “Oasis of Fog” are a wasted genetic treasure that yields an investment return exceeding 600%
Zabargad Island: A sunken treasure trove of antiquities and a historical home to the rarest gemstones
The subsidized fuel drains the four-hundred-mile journeys for a meager fish yield
Shalateen market: Five thousand job opportunities lost in the heart of the African camel trade
The geological formation of Jabal Ulba is divided into four distinct environments:
The topography of the region
(Sabkhas, coastal plain, desert, and mountain slopes)
The mountain ranges facing the Red Sea act as natural cloud condensers, nourishing 350 plant species in high density on the peaks and valleys.
The Economically
This green wealth relies on a natural rain-fed irrigation system that provides complete land sustainability with zero operational costs, enhancing its investment viability as a self-renewing economic resource.
The reserve is characterized by complex topography, reaching heights of 1912 meters at the summit of Jabal Shindib. Geological structures control the
The geological formation of Jabal Ulba is divided into four distinct environments
The topography of the region
(Sabkhas, coastal plain, desert, and mountain slopes)
The mountain ranges facing the Red Sea act as natural cloud condensers, feeding 350 plant species in high density on the peaks and valley beds.
Economically,
This green wealth relies on a natural rain-fed irrigation system that provides complete land sustainability with zero operational costs, thus enhancing its investment viability as a self-renewing economic resource.
The reserve is characterized by complex topography, reaching heights of 1912 meters at the summit of Mount Shindib. Geological structures control...
Its main valleys include
Wadi Hawdheen and Wadi Al-Dheeb, which extends for 100 km across the border
The high mountains form a
watershed, where the steeper eastern drainage channels flow directly into the Red Sea. This hydrological system includes the valleys of Ma'rafay, Al-Rahba, Shu'aib, Abab, Adib, and Sarmatay.
It represents a natural water infrastructure that supports population stability and major development projects deep in the desert at the lowest possible economic cost for transporting external water.
The Genetic Treasure
The mountains of Elba contain approximately 350 plant species, representing 14% of the Egyptian plant collection. The region is unique in that it boasts 121 exclusive species that thrive on mineral elements, granting them unique therapeutic and biological properties. It is also home to the distinctive "Anbat" tree, making the region a prime location for significant investments in the biotechnology sector and the sustainable pharmaceutical industry.
The studies by the Desert Research Center reveal that
the plants of the rainfed ecosystem in the "Oasis of Fog" possess unique chemical properties. Economic analysis shows that the added value of these resources, after extracting "functional oils," increases the yield per acre by over 600%. This analysis positions the region as a prime candidate for establishing a "free economic zone for medicinal plants," serving international markets and protecting the country's rights against "biological plunder."
The "Oasis of Fog" is a hidden paradise of biodiversity, nurtured by a highly complex ecosystem
The environmental researcher Ali Hamed documents the presence of 23 mammal species, most notably the endangered Barbary sheep and the African leopard, alongside 173 bird species that make the reserve a global center for wildlife monitoring. The "Lymphalus vulture"—master of the sky and a symbol of power in the temples of the pharaohs—stands out as the most important and exclusive species of the reserve. With a wingspan of 260 cm, it nests in acacia trees, forming, along with the "Shining Sunbird" and the "Egyptian Vulture," a rare natural tableau.
The marine life of the Elba Protected Area is exceptional, encompassing the islands of Al-Sayyal, Al-Zabarjad, and Halayeb
The scientific data confirms the presence of 123 coral species, 2,441 invertebrate species, and 5 endangered turtle species. In addition to the mangrove forests (grey and red) spread across ten locations, our field observations documented the islands of Al-Sayyal and Al-Zabarjad. The latter holds strategic importance as the historical home of the world's finest peridot stones, which adorned the crowns of European monarchs. This heritage transforms the island from a mere silent reserve into a "submerged treasure trove" and an open mine of precious stones, qualifying it for international auction as an untapped sovereign asset.
As for the strategic fish reserve
Along a coastline exceeding 250 km, the reserve serves as a strategic reservoir for high-value export fish such as grouper and sea bream. The Lakes and Fisheries Protection and Development Authority documents that the productivity of the traditional boat here exceeds that of the northern Red Sea by 40%. However, this wealth is hampered by the lack of ice factories and cold chains in the ports of “Abu Ramad” and “Shalateen”, which wastes 30% of the fishermen’s income in favor of middlemen, and deprives the state treasury of huge export revenues in hard currency.
The Ministry of Environment, through its Nature Conservation Sector, is participating in the global celebration of World Wetlands Day.
This day is celebrated annually on February 2nd, commemorating the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands, signed on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, Iran. The Convention aims to protect waterfowl and their habitats worldwide.
The 2020 celebration
Was themed “Wetlands and Biodiversity,” as part of the declaration of 2020 as the Biodiversity Super Year. The Ministry is organizing a number of events in Egyptian protected areas designated as Ramsar sites, as well as those containing other wetlands, to raise awareness of their importance and value to the environment and humanity, and their role in protecting biodiversity.
Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, affirmed that the environmental importance of wetlands stems from:
Their role as transitional zones between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, performing numerous functions that benefit humanity, such as:
The Water purification
High food production, including fish and certain marine species
Their rich biological and genetic diversity, encompassing marine, plant, and animal life, particularly birds
The highly productive ecosystems produced by wetlands, such as mangroves and seagrass beds, which serve as fish breeding grounds and nurseries
Their role as sources for replenishing groundwater basins, storing freshwater, and acting as barriers to the intrusion of seawater (below the surface) into the agricultural lands of the Nile Delta
The coastal wetlands are of particular importance to migratory birds, providing refuge for many animal species during droughts and other environmental hazards such as floods, flash floods, and climate change, thus qualifying them as reservoirs of biodiversity, containing 40% of the world's species
They act as sinks for greenhouse gases that cause climate change, such as carbon dioxide
In addition to Its social and economic role and direct support for the national economy include activities such as: supporting recreational activities, ecotourism, birdwatching, diving, and others.
The government efforts that should play a role in protecting the Gebel Elba Nature Reserve:
1- Conducting land and sea surveillance to monitor, delineate, and control the reserve's areas.
2- Establishing guided trails and signage within the reserve.
3- Setting up control units and gates within the reserve.
4- Organizing patrols to monitor and control the reserve and reduce violations within its areas.
5- Developing awareness programs for local residents within the reserve.
6- Providing aid and healthcare to local residents within the reserve.
7- Involving local residents in the management and control of the reserve.
