#Biodiversity in Egypt’s Tourism Project (MBDT)

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Preserving Egypt’s Natural and Cultural Heritage: Embracing Egypt’s Local Tribal Communities and Protected Areas.

An interwoven, harmonious, and intimate relationship is forged between local communities and the natural ecosystems that surround them. For millennia, tribal communities have thrived in treacherous and unforgiving natural conditions, enduring the scorching desert sun and the chilling winters along steep mountain ranges. The deep bond with nature reflects the significance of environmental conservation and the preservation of cultural heritage.

In Egypt, tribal community culture, tradition, and livelihood are shaped through their interaction with nature. These communities have learned to coexist with nature, developing sustainable methods to derive essential ecosystem services for survival and the conservation of pristine natural resources. 

The Guardian reports that the majority of the world’s 6,000 national parks and 100,000 protected places have been established through the displacement of tribal peoples. To counter this concerning trend, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, UNDP and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) are championing the inclusion of local tribal communities in the conservation of Egypt’s vast protected areas through their joint Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Egypt’s Tourism (MBDT) project. 

The Tribal Talks campaign encompasses five different regions and eleven tribes in Egypt: 

Southern Sinai:

The Jebeliya Tribe: The Jebeliya tribe has called the Saint Katherine Protected Area 'home' for 1400 years. The tribe has a deep connection to the Saint Katherine Monastery, providing essential services such as safekeeping, gardening, and traveling to get supplies for centuries.

The Muzeina Tribe: The Muzeina tribe is a prominent tribe in Sinai with origins from Saudi Arabia. They are spread across more than two-thirds of the area, inhabiting the Gulf of Aqaba from Taba to Sharm El Sheikh to Ras Sudr. They were once nomadic pastoralists, but have settled due to education, water availability, and employment. Most of the tribe's members now live by the shore and depend on fishing for their livelihood, which has been their intergenerational profession

The Tarabin Tribe: The Tarabin tribe is considered one of the largest Bedouin tribes in the Sinai Peninsula. They originally arrived in the region from Saudi Arabia around 750 to 1000 years ago.

People of Al Gharqana Village: Gharqana village, north of Sharm El Sheikh, is a quaint fisherman's village that is inhabited by different tribes, mostly Al Muzeina. Fishing is the livelihood for most of the community, except for a few who work in tourism. Gharqana is in Nabq Protected Area, a haven for migrating birds with rare elements like mangrove trees.

Southern Red Sea: 

The Ababda Tribe: The Ababda tribe, originally from Saudi Arabia, has inhabited the Red Sea coastline from Ras Ghareb until Halayeb for centuries. Their reliance on nature and limited resources for survival has led to the formation of tribal conservation laws prohibiting the cutting of green trees and allowing the usage of dry ones.  

The Bishari Tribe: The Bishari tribe, one of the oldest in Southern Red Sea, arrived over four millennia ago from Northeast Africa and are a major division of the Beja people. They served as border protectors throughout history, speaking Bidhaawyeet or Rotana language.

Nubia:

The Nubians: The Nubians, the oldest ethnic group in Egypt, are indigenous to Nubia and have preserved their language for 7000 years. Women in Nubia are held in high regard and are attributed with the preservation of the Nubian culture, and language as they took care of the villages on their own when men traveled for work.

North Coast: 

Matrouh Tribes: The coast of Matrouh is a place of cultural richness, with five main tribes who arrived in Matrouh in two main migrations, the first during the Islamic conquests. Despite living on the coast, their culture is closely tied to the desert, historically having little interaction with the sea. These tribes have adapted to change while still holding onto their cultural heritage in the desert, inspiring to see.

Western Desert: 

The Amazigh Tribes: Siwa Oasis is home to the local Amazigh tribes, descendants of North African Amazigh. While the Amazigh lived in Siwa during Pharaonic times, the majority migrated to Siwa after the Islamic conquests due to a drought in North Africa. Today, the current inhabitants of Siwa Oasis are a mix of Amazigh and Arab tribes with a cultural blend between the 2 cultures. They all speak Siwi, a dialect of the Amazighi language.

People of Farafra Oasis: The people of Farafra Oasis have a rich cultural heritage from their diverse origins, with eight main tribes coming from various Arabic countries, intermarrying and creating a unique blend of cultures.  

People of Bahareya Oasis: The people of Wahat Bahareya rely on agriculture and tourism for their livelihood. The use of Roman and Pharaonic wells allows for vast amounts of palm trees, but it's in tourism where the people of Bahareya truly shine. 

ECO EGYPT is a nationwide campaign that promotes for ecotourism in Egypt’s ecological sites and protected sites. The ECO EGYPT campaign is developed by the Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Egypt’s Tourism Project (MBDT); MBDT is implemented by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) as a Strategic Partner for the campaign.