This scourge and the rise in sea level “represent a great challenge for a large number of countries in the world, especially in the coastal areas of deltas, which are vulnerable to flooding with salt water,” the official said in a statement.

Abdel Atty stressed that in recent years his ministry has built 210 kilometers of protection walls and is currently working on building another 50 kilometers.

He also highlighted the work to protect the archaeological areas of the city of Alexandria, in the Mediterranean coast.

The minister recently revealed that climate change threatens 12 to 15 percent of the fertile land in the Nile Delta as a result of the projected rise in sea level.

This problem is compounded by the growing water stress in the country, which depends on more than 90 percent of the waters of the Nile to meet the needs of its 103 million inhabitants.

According to official figures, Egypt has a water availability of 60 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year, but its needs are around 114 bcm.

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