Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of
Women towards Climate Change
Consequences in Northern Lakesof Egypt
African Technology Policy Studies Network

TECHNOPOLICY BRIEF | No. 33
Hala Yousry
Manal SamraSensitizing and Building the Capacity of
Women towards Climate Change
Consequences in Northern Lakesof Egypt

Hala Yousry (Ph.D.)
Rural Sociology
Manal Samra
Political Science, Development

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.
Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network
P O Box 10081, 00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya
2011

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies Network

ISBN: 978-9966-030-23-8

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement

41.

Introduction

5

2.

Analysis & Findings

73.

Conclusions & Recommendations

9

Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt | 3

Acknowledgement
This research was conducted as part of the implementation of the African
Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) Phase VI Strategic Plan, 2008 – 2012
funded by ATPS Donors including the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (DGIS)
the Netherlands, Rockefeller Foundation, amongst others. The authors hereby
thank the ATPS for the financial and technical support during the implementationof the program. The Authors specially thank the ATPS Climate Sense Program
Director, Dr. Kevin Urama (ATPS); and the Program Coordinators including Prof.
Francis Mutua (ATPS Kenya); Dr. George Essegbey (ATPS Ghana), Prof. Eric
Eboh (ATPS Nigeria), Dr. Nicholas Ozor (ATPS), and Ms. Wairimu Mwangi (ATPS)
for their technical support during the research process.'

4 | Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt

1.

Introduction

Egypt, like other developing countries, would be affected by the climaticchanges, including possible hydrological disturbances in the Nile River, which
may lead to the loss of 30 – 60% of the Nile's water resources, and consequently
diminish Egypt's agricultural production. In addition, because of the rise in theMediterranean Sea level, it is highly likely that large parts of the northern Delta,
especially low-lying areas below sea level, will be submerged by water.
Egypt's Nile delta with its coastal front on the Mediterranean is consideredvulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In addition to expected rise in sealevel, shoreline erosion, stresses on fisheries and saltwater intrusion ingroundwater create major challenges. These factors also produce stressful
effects on water and agricultural resources, tourism and human settlements.
Fragile and unique ecosystems such as the mangrove stands in the Red Sea,
which stabilize shorelines and provide a habitat for many species, may also bethreatened. The northern Egyptian lakes, which constitute about 25% of the total
Mediterranean wetlands and produce about 60% of the fish products, are also
highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Since the lakes are relativelyshallow, climate change can lead to an increase in water temperature, which
could result in changes in the lake ecosystems as well as changes in yield.
The regions that are most likely to be affected are areas that lie between
Alexandria and Damietta, covering a length of 180 km along the coast, and going
50 m inland. The 2006 Environment Status Report issued by the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change also refers to consequences on human health,including the emergence of new diseases as result of disease vectors movingfrom Sub Saharan Africa to the northern parts.
Overview
The project “Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Adaptation
to the Consequences of Climate Change in Northern Lakes of Egypt” isimplemented as part of the ATPS Climate Sense program. The exact location
where the activities of this project are implemented is the communities of ElBurullus Lake in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, specifically, Lake Burullus, northern
Egypt. Burullus Lake lies on the eastern side of Rosetta branch of the Nile River,occupying a central position along the Mediterranean Nile delta coast of Egypt.
The only economic activity in these communities is fishing and fish trade, which
Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt | 5have been largely affected by extreme weather events such as very cold weather
or long periods of hot waves. Among the most vulnerable groups are women
working in fishing-related activities. The vulnerability of women in this sector istriggered by their lack of awareness of climate change, and its impacts combinedwith their negligible or lack of any economic role in their communities; very few ofthe women practice simple home-based fishing-related activities like fish salting.
The overall project goal is enhancing the capacities of a core group of 25 women,each of whom are linked to a family with a husband, father or brother working infishing, in areas such as food processing techniques, hygiene and leadership.
The project main beneficiaries are women below the age of 45 and who have oneof their close relatives, such as the husband, the father or the brother working in
the field of fishing.
Participatory approaches were applied to identify the appropriate venue/s toimplement the project activities with the group of selected women. The
approaches used include Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Semi-Structured
Interviews (SSI), and quantitative and qualitative analysis. Four FGDs wereplanned on emerging and indigenous technologies for climate change
adaptation in Egypt. On the ground, six FGDs were conducted with men andwomen (3 FGDs with each group). A total of 18 men and 19 women participatedin the FGDs.
In addition to the FGDs, a full-scale survey was conducted as part of the main
project activities. This survey served as the basis for identifying the women who
participated in the trainings organized to build their capacities. The sample
included in the questionnaire consisted of 154 people; however not all the people
who were given the questionnaire answered all the questions.
The project designed and implemented training sessions for 33 women on up-todate food processing techniques, with the help of professional short-term
experts in food processing from the nearest Governorate to the project target
area. The trainings topics included basic communication skills and knowledgetransfer, knowledge and skills on fish processing, and leadership skills andnetworking. Of the 33 women, only 19 were able to invite other women to teachthem the same techniques and communicate the same knowledge and skills.
The training that the 19 women did took 3 days as follows:

6 | Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt

Day One: 3 trainers + 16 trainees (participants)
Day Two: 12 trainers + 60 trainees
Day Three: 5 Trainers + trainees

2.

Analysis & Findings

Fishing is the main economic activity in the community. Fishermen go on daily
fishing trips and the production either consumed domestically if the catch is large
enough to allow sparing some for the house, or given to the women in the house(the wife, the mother or sister) to sell it along the roads of the village. Women areburdened with the responsibility of selling the fish in very difficult conditions.
Main fish processing activities that women engage in include: cleaning andsalting, and sometimes pealing shrimps. The women's biggest concern is to sell
the fish they get from fishermen before the catch gets spoiled. Only farm fish canbe processed in different ways, but the Lake's fish can only be salted. Peeling
shrimp is not financially rewarding to women. Most of the interviewees also
confirmed that this is a fair division of labor and that women's role could not be
shifted.
According to the FGDs results, not more than 20% of the people interviewed know
about climate change and its impacts. It is often confused with weather
conditions and changes they hear on the daily weather news. Fishermen usually
pay attention to daily weather conditions as it affects their fishing trips. The mostcommon piece of knowledge shared is the rise in the sea level and the potential
submerging of the Delta and the shores within 50 years. Some of the interviewees
noted the recurrent floods during recent winters and the heavy rains whichcaused some houses to collapse.
Some people still attribute part of the changes occurring in the Lake and the fish
production to building the High Dam. They believe it has contributed to stopping
the flood in the Nile and accordingly the amount of water reaching the Lake
through the Nile River. They also believe that if the sea level rises, the salt water
fish will dominate and the fresh water fish will begin to disappear. They also fearthat if Egypt's share of the Nile River decreases, it could lead to drying off theLakes.
Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt | 7

With regard to dealing with the impacts of climate change, such as floods,
increase/decrease in the water level of Burullus Lake and reduction in fish
production, most of the community members agreed that this was beyond them,and that it was the government's responsibility to provide the solutions. People
blamed the government for some of the major problems they are experiencing
and are accusing the government of adopting double standards. In addition,
officials are overlooking the outrageous destroying of the Lake's land and taking
over large parts of the land to build on or turn it to fish farms.
There is a strong disagreement among community members with regard to theexistence of fish farms. Most of interviewees believe that the fish farms caused a
lot of imbalance in the market. The production is high and thus the fishermen
who depend on Burullus Lake are forced to sell the fish at low prices. Somecommunity members believe that fish farms are sort of an achievement in theircommunity. It increased fish production; and thus fulfilled the local needs andalso created a lot of jobs. Those who are against fish farms and feel theirprofession and livelihoods are threatened by fish farms say farm traders disposeof hormones contaminated wastes in the lake. The farms' water is also
contaminated with chemicals and bacteria which when disposed of in the lake's
water, causes various diseases and health problems to fishermen.
Another perceived threat is catching/stealing fish fry from the lake and using it infish farms. It is even perceived as a crime against the community and against thebalance of the nature. Unemployed youth are involved in this shameful act andare causing the lake to dry off and the fish to disappear.
Many fishermen fear they could not change their profession and perhaps would
not. Absent of factories and business, the community does not provide any otheropportunities except fishing. Aside from small jobs such as carpentry andconstruction work, which fishermen can take on during the no-fishing months,
fishermen are not willing to change their inherited profession.

8 | Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt

3.

Conclusions & Recommendations

Outreach programs to raise awareness of climate change and its impacts on thefish industry are a pressing need. This can be implemented in the form of radioand TV programs targeted at the local community, focusing on climate change
impacts, as they are important sources of information for fishermen and theirfamilies to learn more about climate change impacts and adaptation strategies.
The entire fish industry in the lake needs development, through upgrading fishingtechniques, equipment and tools, such as boats and nets, as well as developing
associated existing fish-based food industries;
The civil sector and the fishermen's association in particular should assume agreater in raising awareness on the issue of climate change, its impacts, andadaptation techniques;
The private sector should be approached with appropriate, well-thought out
initiatives and incentives to develop initiatives that aim to prepare and qualify
vulnerable groups, especially women, on techniques of processing and packing
fish in a healthy way, allowing them to work in the field of food industry (fishprocessing) and contribute to the investments in the food industry sector in thecommunity
Likewise, business people in the local community should be encouraged andmotivated to establish and/or adopt such initiatives and projects, and emphasize
the importance of having practical and realistic feasibility studies, while qualifying
and training women to assume more significant roles in the future or the next
phasesExecutive authorities must be involved in the work planned for the next phases, toensure smooth operation of programs and projects, and to encourage them toadopt an open-minded approach towards the climate change issue;
The local community confuses bad or extreme weather conditions with climatechange induced phenomena. They interpret unfamiliar and unusual extreme
conditions they are witnessing as the doing of bad weather; they do not have aclear understating and knowledge of climate change and its impact. This calls forSensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt | 9

immediate and extensive outreach programs to improve community members'
knowledge of the issue, and introduce different adaptation mechanisms;
Proposed Actions
As a general recommendation, and given the lack of tradition knowledge andlocal practices with regard to developing fish production, and since theseknowledge and practices, when existent, are individual and rarely circulated andmade common for the benefit of the fishermen's community, it is recommended
to plan another phase to this project and incorporate components/activities toaddress this topic
At the Research Level, explore feasible and affordable technologies relating toclimate change, that could be adopted by fishermen or women groups directly
linked to any fishing-based activities, and consider how these technologies canbe transformed to help improve their livelihoods
Also, approach local research centers and universities existing near the affectedareas to take part in finding solutions for the common problems faced by the local
communities in these areas. This can be achieved through introducing simple
interventions to help women in their daily fish processing activities and improvetheir productivity. Private sector and local business people could be approached
to implement these interventions or ideas at a low cost, to be made available foruse by the locals.
At the National / Political Level
Issue and/or review laws that regulate building and operating fish farms, toensure that fish farm owners do not harm fishermen operating in the lakes andother groups depending on fishing in their livelihoods;
Develop coordinated plans with the participation of the local community toensure the success and sustainability of suggested programs and projects(involve all concerned parties, including decision makers, executives,researchers, local community members… etc);
Adopt a bottom-up approach to planning developmental interventions as aproper method for policy formulation especially when it becomes action researchoriented;
10 | Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt

Increase the level of decentralization to allow for greater participation by the local
communities in policy formulation, andApply a holistic approach while planning public policies and integrate fishery withagriculture, water availability, and economics and housing

Sensitizing and Building the Capacity of Women towards Climate Change Consequences in Northern Lakes of Egypt | 11

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, private sector actors andpolicy makers promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) for African
development, environmental sustainability and global inclusion.
ATPS intends to achieve its mandate through research, capacity
building and training, science communication/dissemination andsensitization, participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue,knowledge brokerage, and policy advocacy.

African Technology
Policy Studies Network
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ISBN: 978-9966-030-23-8