Pollution in an Egyptian lake is destroying livelihoods
STORY: This once-pristine lake in Egypt
is now filled with drainage water
Locator: Fayoum, Egypt
Qarun Lake used to be a lifeline
for fishermen in surrounding villages
But pollution from agricultural runoff and
industrial waste has destroyed the industry
(Ramadan Abdel Sattar Awad, Fisherman)
“I have worked as a fisherman after my father and grandfather. This lake used to be fine, but after the sewage drain was dumped in it, the fish seeds started to die, then no fish remained except for the very small fish like the sardine, this kind of fish doesn’t get any bigger or smaller and is neither useful nor harmful.”
A 2017 government study found
increased salinity in the lake
Another in 2020 noted higher-than-normal
contamination with metals
Work is underway to purify local sewage water
and cut the lake off from agricultural drainage