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Lake Manzala

The project is explained in the speech of the Chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority in the video attached (from 1:55:59 to 2:03:10).

The development of Egyptian lakes is one of the giant national projects for completing the real development process that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi started by issuing directives for developing the lakes, solving obstacles and problems facing them, and making them better than ever before raising them to the level of global lakes.

During the opening of a number of projects in Damietta Governorate, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed, while listening to the updates of Lake Manzala Development Project, that the lake should become up to international standards of lakes in developed countries after its development.

President El-Sisi directed the Ministry of Environment to review the list of factories that get rid of industrial waste in the lakes. He also gave directives to the Ministry of Agriculture to throw fish seeds in the lake after completing the works of development, dredging and increasing depth. He also gave directives to the Ministry of Housing to build suitable houses for fishermen working in the lake to prevent any encroachment. He pointed out that the lake development process will be completed by 2021, and it will become a tourist destination.

In this report, we note the location of Lake Manzala, its importance, water sources and the most important problems impeding its development process.

Lake Manzala Site

"Lake Manzala" is considered one of the largest fresh lakes with an area of about 404,69 square kilometers and its depth is 1.15 meters. "Lake Manzala" is located in the northeastern part of the Nile River Delta. It connects three governorates, Port Said, Dakahlia, and Damietta and shares its eastern borders with the Suez Canal. It is bordered in the west by the Damietta branch and in the north with the Mediterranean.

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Livestock and Fisheries Dec 2019

Lake Manzala

The project is explained in the speech of the Chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority in the video attached (from 1:55:59 to 2:03:10).

The development of Egyptian lakes is one of the giant national projects for completing the real development process that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi started by issuing directives for developing the lakes, solving obstacles and problems facing them, and making them better than ever before raising them to the level of global lakes.

During the opening of a number of projects in Damietta Governorate, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed, while listening to the updates of Lake Manzala Development Project, that the lake should become up to international standards of lakes in developed countries after its development.

President El-Sisi directed the Ministry of Environment to review the list of factories that get rid of industrial waste in the lakes. He also gave directives to the Ministry of Agriculture to throw fish seeds in the lake after completing the works of development, dredging and increasing depth. He also gave directives to the Ministry of Housing to build suitable houses for fishermen working in the lake to prevent any encroachment. He pointed out that the lake development process will be completed by 2021, and it will become a tourist destination.

In this report, we note the location of Lake Manzala, its importance, water sources and the most important problems impeding its development process.

Lake Manzala Site

"Lake Manzala" is considered one of the largest fresh lakes with an area of about 404,69 square kilometers and its depth is 1.15 meters. "Lake Manzala" is located in the northeastern part of the Nile River Delta. It connects three governorates, Port Said, Dakahlia, and Damietta and shares its eastern borders with the Suez Canal. It is bordered in the west by the Damietta branch and in the north with the Mediterranean.

  • Importance of Lake Manzala
  • Feeding Sources
  • Major Obstacles
  • Lake Development Process

Lake Manzala is distinguished by the diversity of its regions as it contains shallow areas and areas characterized by their wide surfaces. The importance of the lake stems from the fact that it is the home of birds that migrate for reproduction, water supply, and food. It also contains different types of fish, such as tilapia, mullet family, bagrus, grass carp, shrimp, and crabs. The lake is also home to many different types of birds and prevents the passage of sea water and its penetration into agricultural lands, thus acting as a barrier.

There are several water sources feeding "Lake Manzala", including El-Gamil old and new inlets, El-Debba (El-Souffara), El-Ratma Canal, and El-Souffara Canal. The lake is fed with mixed water sources; salty water from Damietta branch and drinking water. The water comes from four sources: Bahr El-Baqar Drain, which is a main source of lake pollution with wastewater, and El-Serw Drain, which is an agricultural drainage channel located in Damietta. This is in addition to Hadous Drain, which is an agricultural drainage channel separating between Sharkia and Dakahlia, and Ramses Drain, which is an agricultural drainage channel located in Dakahlia.

 

The lake is facing a number of problems and obstacles, including reduction in area due to erosion, shoveling, desiccation of soil, and water pollution caused by discharge of wastewater and sewage, industrial, and agricultural water together with the growth of water plants, such as Eichhornia and Phragmites, which impedes the movement of lake water and the impact on fisheries there.

The work of the national project to purify and develop "Lake Manzala", which is supervised by the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces, is carried out as planned. Purifying and developing Lake Manzala is a common file between the governorates of Damietta, Dakahlia and Port Said, and it is one of the most important development projects to which President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi pays special attention. Lake Manzala started to be developed, becoming an integrated project carefully chosen to be the starting point for the development of lakes in Egypt, especially Idku, Burullus, Mariout, Bardawil and Qarun, the work of purifying and developing Lake Manzala has made great strides towards the lake’s restoring of its luster and nature for being one of the largest lakes in Northern Egypt due to ending violations to the laws regulating fishing in it. As a result, disposal of pollutants work has entered an advanced stage.