100 million people in 8% of the territory: Egypt is nearing a population explosion
In the North African country, a millionth century citizen will be registered in the coming month. The United Nations warns of a collapse of infrastructure in the wake of the clash, and residents wish for a better future in the government's housing projects
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Sat, 01 Feb 2020, 19:48
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100 million people in 8% of the territory: Egypt is nearing a population explosion
Photo: Reuters
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The UN Population Fund warns of a population explosion in Egypt, registering a millionth citizen in the coming month for the capital of Cairo. According to Alexander Budirosa, the country's representative, the newborn will join a nation of six people out of ten To the age of 29.
Bodirosa explained that many Arab and African countries are struggling with the high birth rates in those societies, but in Egypt the situation is much worse, with 97% of its residents living in 8% of the country's total area, most of them on the banks of the Nile River.
To try to cope with the phenomenon, according to the Population Fund representative, Egypt must prioritize the creation of new housing, schools and hospitals, as the country's population grows by about 2.5 million per year, and about 1,400 people can be found in every neighborhood. Square m.
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Cairo Central Market, Egypt, January 28, 2020 (Reuters)
The city may collapse. Market in central Cairo, January (Photo: Reuters)
In dealing with the situation, Egypt has begun to build housing projects around the capital, and many residents are aiming to move to the new apartments. Rania, a 36-year-old resident of the city and a mother of two, lives in her sister's apartment in central Cairo. She hopes that one day she will be able to leave, as the same population growth is affecting residents' lives. It wants to move to one of the satellite settlements built around Cairo, which President Abd al-Fatah al-Sisi has identified as one of Egypt's biggest challenges, alongside terrorism.
"I want to move my two children to a place where residents have a better mentality, where there is a better education," said the 36-year-old, who lives in the Ard al-Rawa district of the capital, a dusty residential area whose streets are unpaved. "Unfortunately, conditions are very difficult in a place like this (...) so I hope I can leave so I can live to a better social standard."
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The problem - jobs
The World Bank warns that the workforce in Egypt will reach 80 million people in ten years, making hiring one of the major problems in the country. Radwa Al-Swafi, research director for employment in Egypt on behalf of a major financial firm in Cairo, said that in order to create enough jobs, annual economic growth should be at least double the population growth rate.
In addition, Egypt's economy could suffer water shortages as a result of climate change and the dam that builds Ethiopia down the Nile River. Also, road infrastructure and public transport may also be hit by population growth pressures.
"30 years ago this whole area was agricultural land," said Nabil Rawash, a resident of al-Rawa in his 60s. "But with the increase in density and population growth, they started coming here and building houses," he added, standing on a busy street crowded with vehicles and bystanders.
Density of public transport in Cairo, Egypt, January 29, 2020 (Reuters)
The pressure will only increase as the population grows. Crowd density in Cairo, January (Photo: Reuters)
Egyptian government officials said a "two-enough" campaign aimed at breaking the tradition of large birth-rate families in rural areas has succeeded in lowering the fertility rate. The campaign targets more than one million poor families with more than three children. Under this campaign, the Social Solidarity Office trains volunteers to encourage people to have fewer children.
"During 2019, we conducted 2,680,000 home visits," said Desiree Laviv, project manager at the government office. "Among those visits, 407,000 women asked to go to family planning clinics." Desiree cited a study in the UK that found that the fertility rate dropped from 3.5 in 2014 to 3.1 in 2018.
Cairo traffic jam, capital of Egypt - January 28, 2020 (Reuters)
Cairo traffic jam last week (Photo: Reuters)
"If we can create more discipline so that families have fewer children, we can reach fertility rates of 2.1 by 2032," said Abdel Hamid Sharaf-Din, a senior government statistician. Sharif a-Din explained that even if the plan for the birth struggle was successful, Egypt's population would grow to 153 million by 2052. But if fertility rates rise again to 3.4, it could reach 191 million.
Either way, the government needs to do something about the rush in Cairo, which is home to about one in five Egyptians, and as early as June a move of several government offices from the capital is planned.
However, for many, moving from Cairo is not a real option, as public transport is deficient and there is a lack of jobs, according to Timothy Colds, a research fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. "Over-centralization of the state's economy has resulted in the excessive concentration of the population in one metropolitan area," Caldas added.
https://news.walla.co.il/item/3338329