Egypt’s historic Mediterranean port city and second-largest metropolis, is confronting an escalating crisis as climate change, coastal erosion, and unchecked urban expansion threaten its very existence.
The ancient city, founded by Alexander the Great, now risks being slowly swallowed by the sea.
Local authorities warn that over 25,000 buildings in Alexandria are classified as at risk of collapse, with hundreds situated in zones highly vulnerable to seawater infiltration.
In recent years, 85 people have tragically lost their lives when weakened structures gave way, often due to unstable soils and moisture damage. Rising sea levels—estimated at around three millimeters annually—have intensified groundwater salinization, further undermining the foundations of coastal buildings.
Once protected by seawalls and coastal barriers built in the last century, Alexandria now finds these defences insufficient against new climate realities. The city’s rapid, often unregulated urban growth has worsened vulnerabilities, putting its nearly six million residents at greater risk.
Egyptian officials say they have initiated projects to reinforce riverbanks and renovate ageing infrastructure, supported by the World Bank. Yet residents and experts criticize slow implementation, weak enforcement against illegal construction, and bureaucratic hurdles that hinder effective action.
Alexandria’s unique blend of millennia-old heritage and strategic economic importance places it at the heart of a regional dilemma: how to preserve historic coastal cities while safeguarding millions from the growing impacts of climate change.
Without urgent, large-scale coordinated efforts, Alexandria may become one of the first major Mediterranean cities to endure the devastating consequences of rising seas, standing as a stark warning of what lies ahead for vulnerable coastal communities worldwide.
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