Remedial and Protective Measures for Coastal Structures on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea from Impacts of Climate Change

Climate change is undoubtedly a major global concern. The construction industry is a major human activity that engulfs about 10% of the world’s workforce either in the form of direct or indirect jobs. Egypt has nearly 3000 km stretched over the coastlines of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. With such a long coastline and clusters of population, the gravity of the potential negative impact of climate change must be considered and addressed. Indeed, data are scarce on climate change’s impact on Egypt, particularly on the Egyptian construction industry and the extensive existing and underway construction projects. There is a dire need for such information to assist officials, planners, engineers, and contractors to alleviate the potential negative impacts of the anticipated climate change. The main objective of this research study is to identify the key parameters of the impact of climate change on the construction industry on the coastlines of Egypt. Throughout this paper, the anticipated climate change effects on Egypt will be studied and analyzed, emphasizing the coastal lines. The effect of climate change along the coastal lines will be further studied by studying pilot cases identified in coastal projects of different natures considering the measures taken and restrictions applied to encounter climate change, especially the increase in sea level. These measures and restrictions will be assessed to rate their soundness and effectiveness through experimental work presented in this paper. This paper will show a comparison between the measures taken and the measures that need to be taken as recommendations based on the study, experimental work, and research will be provided to alleviate negative impacts on both existing and future projects.