Students of Intake VII went on a field trip to Shakshouk village in Fayoum governorate. It is a small settlement of fishermen and farmers living on the shore of Lake Qarun, and part of the protected area of Qarun. During the excursion, we visited the salt extraction facility ‘EMISEL’ that works on reducing the salinity of the water of the lake. We then conducted a focus group with the local community to understand the socio-economic conditions as well as to explore their relation with the salt facility as a key developer in the area. To get an in-depth on the local economic activities,  we interviewed the head of the fishermen guild. He explained the causes of the ecological deterioration of the lake and its implications for the well-being of the village. We also had the chance to take a tour with the manager of the local NGO and observe their efforts to improve the economic conditions of the vulnerable groups in the village.

In addition, we visited the local administrative unit to get the official perspective on the current status and future plans for development.  We also got in touch with the manager of Lake Qarun protected area to understand the viewpoint of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency ‘EEAA’ on the urban development of Shakshouk village in relation to the natural environment.  Based on primary data collected from field and available secondary data, the students are currently preparing a state of environment report in an attempt to envision possible future scenarios of urban development in Shakshouk village.