Current+issues

__**Current Issues in Cairo**__ Aulia Harun and Jordan Obey January 25, 2009 Geography IB SL1 (D)

//The information below is organized in four major topics: 1. Environmental 2. Infrastructure 3. Refugee Migration 4. Social Issues//

• __**Environmental**__ --An estimate of 1.5 million cars are in Cairo, with the addition of numerous buses --Unplanned streets that were not designed to support a large number of traffic lead to higher traffic noise levels as well as pollution --Sewage systems built back in the early twentieth century are being destroyed, leading to pollution --Factories emit wastes into the streets and the surrounding air --Rubbish dumps, limited clean water, poor sewage system, industrial pollution, and high-density housing lead to environmental and health issues --High-rise apartments are vulnerable to earthquakes (eg. The one that struck in 1993) --Severe water and air pollution --Fumes from vehicle exhaust create smog in the surrounding environment --Groundwater pollution is present in the area --In 1992, an estimated 30,000 buildings collapsed due to an earthquake

• __**Infrastructure**__ --Buildings in rural areas are relatively poor and low in quality --Very few public services available --Rural areas are commonly over a kilometer from the nearest water supply --Although new apartments are being built in the suburbs, rents are high --Commuting cost from suburb to city center is too expensive for most people --Construction of streets are unplanned --Roads were not built for the large number of traffic present today --Informal housing in Cairo --Nearly 80 percent of all the housing in the city are informal --Traffic is heavily congested in the city’s streets --Leaking sewers in poor areas (also leads to the pollution of groundwater) --Dilapidated buildings in the old city • New satellite and dormitory towns are being built around the edge of Cairo to help ease the city from the rapid population growth • New roads are being built around the city to ease the traffic congestion in the city center • The construction of an underground railway system reduce the load of commuters on the roads • Sewers are being repaired • Refuse collection is being improved
 * **Solutions (Infrastructure)**

• __**Refugee Migration**__ --Darfur conflict victims migrate to Egypt --The Majority of refugees in Egypt are Sudanese (30,000 recorded) --Many Sudanese refugees in Cairo are subject to Egyptian racism. --Cairo has been criticized for its lack of support towards Sudanese refugees i.e. no health care, protection, or rights to education. --Resentment towards Sudanese refugees in Cairo by native Egyptians is due to the already thin resources that are now also being shared with these “outsiders”.

• __**Social Issues**__ --**Population** • Because of the large population jobs become scarce and Egyptians begin to migrate to gulf countries in search of jobs. • Resources such as clean water are spread thin amongst the high population • High population Density leads to fast spread of diseases • Total population is 14,800,000 (16th most populated city in the world) --**Sexual Harassment** • 60 percent of Egyptian women and 98 percent of foreign women are harassed on a daily basis. • Exposure to such acts of public humiliation that result in verbal or physical assault are often ignored by the police. In Cairo this is due to the lack of protective enforcement of Egyptian laws. • Prosecution for sexual harassment is very rare because of a lack of Egyptian laws specifically targeting sexual harassment, and the laws that do touch upon such issues are very vague. • “There is no law criminalizing sexual harassment in Egypt,” • “Police often refuse to report women’s complaints, and when it is the police themselves who are harassing women, then clearly women’s safety is far from a priority in Egypt.”

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLEItMxYeQo

__**Photo 1:**__ //This image of a smoggy Cairo emphasizes the city’s issues with air pollution//.

__**Sources:**__ http://www.learnquebec.ca/export/sites/learn/en/content/curriculum/social_sciences/sec_geography/resources/metropolises/metropole_images/LeCaire/caire_ciel.jpg

http://www.agenceglobal.com/article.asp?id=1664

__Geography: An Integrated Approach__ //by David Waugh//

http://www.fmreview.org/FMRpdfs/FMR27/50.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo

Handout - LEDC cities: Cairo