Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Foreign Ministry
During a phone interview on Tuesday's programme Happening in Egypt, Fouad said recent earthquakes point to atypical seismic behaviour, suggesting the country is experiencing unusual geophysical events that were not previously recorded.
She described an unprecedented correlation between certain climatic and geological factors. While earthquakes are not directly caused by climate change, she said, rising sea levels may contribute to a higher frequency of seismic activity.
Fouad added that weather phenomena in Egypt have become more intense and frequent, asserting that climate change alters the nature of weather patterns.
“We are now witnessing unusually heavy rainfall, flash floods, droughts, and storms,” she said.
The minister noted that contingency measures are already in place for severe climatic conditions. “At a certain point, we may need to close schools or some facilities due to storms or rising pollution levels. We are equipped to make those decisions when necessary,” she said.
Fouad stressed the need for an effective early warning system to anticipate potential earthquake risks and to ensure a swift crisis response. She said the government has developed a comprehensive strategy to manage such environmental changes.
She added that a central crisis management authority is in place and equipped with protocols outlining the roles and responsibilities for dealing with various climatic and cosmic scenarios.
Recent earthquakes
Egypt has experienced a series of tremors in recent weeks.
On 14 May, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck, followed just a week later by a second measuring 6.2.
Both were strongly felt across large areas of the country, including Greater Cairo, the Nile Delta, and the northern coastline.
More recently, a minor quake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale struck northwest of Hurghada on Monday, according to the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG).
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