Egypt's Lake Manzala, on the northeastern edge of the Nile Delta and the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, has a long and storied history. For centuries, it has provided a steady supply of fish-and a livelihood-for local fisherman. Over the past several decades, however, an unpalatable brew of industrial waste, sewage, agricultural runoff and pesticides coming from Cairo, Port Said and surrounding areas have polluted the lake and decimated fish and wildlife populations. At a time when Egypt is facing significant water scarcity and what the United Nations calls a potential "water crisis" by 2050, the country's government is making a concentrated effort to address both the environmental degradation of Lake Manzala and concerns about water scarcity. Additionally, the government is working to develop the Sinai Peninsula-currently underpopulated-into an appealing place to live and work.
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