Head of Western Desert Protected Areas Sector
Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency - Ministry of environment
Total years of experience :25 years, 10 Months
I began my work life as a junior environmental researcher in Egyptian Ministry of Environment in 1998 after my graduation from faculty of science - Mansoura University, one of highly ranked Universities in Egypt and Africa. As a botanist loving wild life and natural resources in a world of increased environmental impacts to natural environments I got my first challenge to work with the European project funding the protected areas of South Sinai in Egypt, a group of five unique and pristine protected areas include mass of wonderful natural resources of coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, geological features, pro-historical monuments and lovely local communities.
I worked as junior then senior environmental researcher between 4 different protected areas (Ras Mohammed, Nabq, Taba and Abu Gallum) with a diverse ecosystems and challenges as well till the date of Mar.
During this time I worked extensively in monitoring of natural resources either marine or terrestrial and preparing technical reports regarding all scientific and managerial issues related to management and conservation of natural environments, but during that as a botanist I fall in love of mangrove ecosystem founded in Nabq and Ras Mohammed protected areas so, I started my Master research work on mangrove ecology till I completed a four year study for my master thesis in 2012.
In 2011 when I started my first managerial work as a manager of one the most fascinating locations of the world, Nabq protected area in South Sinai overlooking southern part of Gulf of Aqaba with about 10 different ecosystems extended from high mountains exceeding 1100 m above sea level to deep waters down to 3000 meters passing through marvelous pristine ecosystems with high biodiversity. Conservation and proper management of these resources and meeting the national needs from tourism industry and the needs of local communities was not an easy challenge but we as a team manages Nabq can confirm that these valuable resources of coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, wetlands, wild flora, fish diversity and wild life of large mammals, marine mammals and a number of world red listed species founded in Nabq are still pristine and well conserved. During this period my mangrove passion was still impressing me and derived me to hit a new exceptional value between the numerous values of mangrove to world and the climate change challenge is that how effectively mangrove can sequester carbon and mitigate elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide till I completed my three year’s work PhD thesis in April, 2017.
In August, 2017 I have moved to a higher and a totally different management level as I mandated as a general director of Egyptian Western Desert Protected Areas Sector, a general directory includes five different of total 30 protected areas in Egypt, these protected areas spans over more than 62 thousands square kilometers of a unique desert ecosystems with a different environmental challenges probably less than sensitively mentioned before ecosystems but with an exceptional archeological and paleontological values, where the only specimen of Basilosaurus fossilized whale record in African continent was recorded. Desert systems are more alive than almost thought and oasis systems with thousands of hectares of palm trees and other large scale organic agricultural practices with the challenge of extensive using of the geological storage of underground water resources from the Nubian Aquifer system is a challenge I still work with till now. But reviewing or preparing technical reports regarding my management responsibility and supervising or reviewing master and PhD thesis for the University did not succeed to change my motivated nature, so till now still have the field researcher feeling derived me continuously to go to distant locations, monitor, record, photograph, observe wilderness everywhere from some thousands kilometers remote locations in the desert and mountains to even under the sea.
I began my work life as a junior environmental researcher in Egyptian Ministry of Environment in 1998 after my graduation from faculty of science - Mansoura University, one of highly ranked Universities in Egypt and Africa. As a botanist loving wild life and natural resources in a world of increased environmental impacts to natural environments I got my first challenge to work with the European project funding the protected areas of South Sinai in Egypt, a group of five unique and pristine protected areas include mass of wonderful natural resources of coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, geological features, pro-historical monuments and lovely local communities.
I worked as junior then senior environmental researcher between 4 different protected areas (Ras Mohammed, Nabq, Taba and Abu Gallum) with a diverse ecosystems and challenges as well till the date of Mar.
During this time I worked extensively in monitoring of natural resources either marine or terrestrial and preparing technical reports regarding all scientific and managerial issues related to management and conservation of natural environments, but during that as a botanist I fall in love of mangrove ecosystem founded in Nabq and Ras Mohammed protected areas so, I started my Master research work on mangrove ecology till I completed a four year study for my master thesis in 2012.
In 2011 when I started my first managerial work as a manager of one the most fascinating locations of the world, Nabq protected area in South Sinai overlooking southern part of Gulf of Aqaba with about 10 different ecosystems extended from high mountains exceeding 1100 m above sea level to deep waters down to 3000 meters passing through marvelous pristine ecosystems with high biodiversity. Conservation and proper management of these resources and meeting the national needs from tourism industry and the needs of local communities was not an easy challenge but we as a team manages Nabq can confirm that these valuable resources of coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, wetlands, wild flora, fish diversity and wild life of large mammals, marine mammals and a number of world red listed species founded in Nabq are still pristine and well conserved. During this period my mangrove passion was still impressing me and derived me to hit a new exceptional value between the numerous values of mangrove to world and the climate change challenge is that how effectively mangrove can sequester carbon and mitigate elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide till I completed my three year’s work PhD thesis in April, 2017.
In August, 2017 I have moved to a higher and a totally different management level as I mandated as a general director of Egyptian Western Desert Protected Areas Sector, a general directory includes five different of total 30 protected areas in Egypt, these protected areas spans over more than 62 thousands square kilometers of a unique desert ecosystems with a different environmental challenges probably less than sensitively mentioned before ecosystems but with an exceptional archeological and paleontological values, where the only specimen of Basilosaurus fossilized whale record in African continent was recorded. Desert systems are more alive than almost thought and oasis systems with thousands of hectares of palm trees and other large scale organic agricultural practices with the challenge of extensive using of the geological storage of underground water resources from the Nubian Aquifer system is a challenge I still work with till now. But reviewing or preparing technical reports regarding my management responsibility and supervising or reviewing master and PhD thesis for the University did not succeed to change my motivated nature, so till now still have the field researcher feeling derived me continuously to go to distant locations, monitor, record, photograph, observe wilderness everywhere from some thousands kilometers remote locations in the desert and mountains to even under the sea.
-Management of national parks and protected areas including infrastructure, visitor management, communication and public awareness, planning, conservation and rehabilitation programs and contingency planning for mitigation of several risks impacting natural resources and wildlife. -Environmental impact assessment of land and marine habitats and management of coastal zones. -Management of western desert protected areas sector.
-Management of national parks and protected areas including infrastructure, visitor management, communication and public awareness, planning, conservation and rehabilitation programs and contingency planning for mitigation of several risks impacting natural resources and wildlife. -Environmental impact assessment of land and marine habitats and management of coastal zones. -Management of western desert protected areas sector.
Thesis title "Evaluation of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Mangrove Ecosystem in South Sinai, Egypt". Study focused on evaluation of mangrove ecosystem capacity to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide as a tool for mitigation of elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, evaluation of the total organic carbon stock in trees and soil with comparing the efficiency of other ecosystems as hypersaline ecosystem, planted mangrove stands and mud flats in process of carbon sequestration. Three methods were used to evaluate organic carbon stock in the soil, low-temperature loss on ignition, high-temperature loss on ignition and wet digestion with potassium dichromate.
A study was concerned with evaluation of the overall above-ground, below-ground and mangrove sediment organic carbon stock for mangrove ecosystem in all habitats mainly distributed along the Gulf of Aqaba in two protected areas (Nabq and Ras Mohammed) in South Sinai (Egypt). The obtained results were compared with ten years old planted mangrove, non-mangrove mud flats and hypersaline ecosystem of the Salt Lake in Ras Mohammed National Park. Study went further to evaluate the role of these ecosystems in process of atmospheric CO2 sequestration. Selection of the most accurate, coast efficient and environmentally friendly technique was of the main tasks of this study, where low-temperature loss on ignition (oC 375/17 hrs.) was the most ideal technique compared to high-temperature loss on ignition (oC 550/2 hrs.) and wet digestion with potassium dichromate. Soils contributed with at least 80% of total organic carbon stock of intertidal mangrove habitat as compared to the salt plain mangrove which attained values up to 90.3%. Percentages of soil organic carbon in the studied habitats reached the highest value 3.44% in intertidal mangrove and minimum was 0.36% in the non-mangrove mud flats of sample dry weight. The ten years old mangroves contained a total carbon stock (in standing biomass and soil carbon) of value 41% of the mature intertidal mangrove. This study proved the role and importance of mangrove ecosystem in carbon sequestration, an important asset for mitigation of the expected climate change. Restoration/rehabilitation programs on previously depleted sites are more efficient than on non-mangrove sites. Mangroves of the intertidal habitat contributed by 95% of carbon sequestration process in South Sinai mangrove (116.89 tons of carbon per year), where the overall carbon sequestration of and Egypt mangroves are 1207.5 tons of carbon per year, considering that all mangrove sites of Egypt have the same sequestration potential to this estimated by present study.