How do Egyptian nature reserves fund themselves?

CAIRO – 19 February 2018: The energy and environment committee of the House of Representatives approved a new draft law on Sunday to establish and safeguard nature protectorates. This draft law stipulates the main sources of safeguard nature funds.

The draft law stipulates that the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) will establish the bases and rules of nature protectorates visits. They shall determine the costs of getting approvals to visit the protectorates and practice activities there. It asserts the importance of compliance with all laws and decisions regulating the entry of prohibited and prohibited areas.


Wadi Degla – Mohammed Said - Wikimedia commons

The EEAA is funded mainly from state’s budgets, grants, subsidies, grants and loans, in addition to half of the fees from visits and the money return of issuing licenses. The rest of money shall be deposited in favor of the Environment Protection Fund. The financial resources shall include the return of economic and training projects and the proceeds of the investments and activities of the Authority and against the works or services rendered to third parties and the equivalent of 50 percent of the proceeds from fines as well as damage to natural reserves.

Nonetheless, the tickets to enter nature protectorates are considered one of fund sources of protectorates, yet the prices of these tickets are still cheap. To visit Wadi el-Gamal and Wadi Al-Hitan protectorate, you have to buy a ticket by five pounds only if you are Egyptian citizen and forty pounds if you are foreigner. For camping, you will pay ten pounds if you are Egyptian citizen and eighty pounds if you are foreigner.


Wadi al-Weshwashy – Official Facebook page of Best Places Egypt

Wadi Degla Protectorate is less expensive than Wadi el-Gamal and Wadi Al-Hitan. Wadi Degla is open every day until 6 pm. Entrance costs just three pounds for Egyptians and five for foreigners. If you are Egyptian riding a car, you will pay five pounds. Camping in Wadi Degla will cost you ten pounds.
Egypt currently has a total of 28 natural protectorates found across the country covering an area of around 150,000 square kilometers or approximately 15 percent of Egypt's land area.

Egypt's 28 protectorates in chronological order of their establishment by prime ministerial decree:

1. Ras Mohammed Natural Park, Tiran and Sanafir Islands
2. Zaranik Protectorate
3. Ahrash Protectorate
4. El-Omayid Protectorate
5. 'Elba National Park
6. Saluga and Ghazal Protectorate
7. St. Catherine Protectorate
8. Ashtum el-Gamil, Lake Manzala and Tenis Island Protectorate
9. Lake Qaroun Protectorate
10. Wadi el-Rayan Protectorate
11. Wadi 'Alaqi Protectorate
12. Wadi el-Assiuti Protectorate
13. El-Hassana Dome
14. Petrified Forest (Gabal el-Khashab)
15. Sannur Cave Protectorate
16. Nabq Protectorate
17. Abu Galum Protectorate
18. Taba Protectorate
19. Lake Bourollus Protectorate
20. Nile Islands
21. Wadi Degla Protectorate
22. Siwa Oasis Protectorate
23. White Desert
24. Wadi el-Gamal and Hamata
25. Red Sea Northern Islands
26. El-Gelf el-Kebir
27. El-Dababya
28. Gulf of Salloum Protectorate