Abstract
Environmental management and appropriate use of coastal zones in Egypt is one of the major challenges facing Egypt. This is a natural outcome of its strategic geographical location straddling both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea which constitute two of the major enclosed coastal seas in the world. Therefore, the problem of the protection of the marine environment in the Egyptian coastal zones has received an early and serious concern by the Egyptian authorities
Being a major tourist and recreation area and due to its exceptional ecological and aesthetic value, and as a result of a number of environmental pressures including rapid development and oil pollution, a development plan for the South Sinai coastal zone area was proposed within an integrated Environmental Management Plan of the Egyptian coastal zones along the Red Sea.
Accordingly, the Gulf of Aqaba coast has been zoned into tourism development areas, protected areas, and National Parks. This will of course ensure that representative, economic and biologically important systems are set aside to guarantee the sustainability of the tourism developments in this unique area.
Due to the repeated and lasting occurrence of oil pollution on the shoreline of the gulf which endanger both the high coral diversity and mangroves which are equally valuable and in need of protection, oil pollution combating arrangements are being established at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba.
This paper aims to illustrate the Egyptian approach in the coastal zone management, with special emphasis on the coastal zones of South Sinai adjacent to the Gulf of Aqaba.