Egypt is home to 14 lakes with diverse characteristics, providing habitats for a variety of fish species and offering income and job opportunities to surrounding communities. However, these lakes face numerous challenges due to urban encroachment and environmental threats. The purpose of this ongoing project is to shed light on the issues faced by Lake Qarun, a specific Egyptian lake that has undergone severe degradation, greatly impacting its local community. Once a thriving lake that sustained many livelihoods, Lake Qarun is now heavily polluted and affected by climate change, leaving fishermen and their families struggling to survive.

Located in Fayoum, southwest of Cairo, Lake Qarun is the country's third largest lake and holds historical significance as one of the oldest lakes in the world with a prehistoric origin. In the past, the lake received annual freshwater replenishment through Nile flooding. However, since the construction of the High Dam in the early 20th century, it has been deprived of this natural source of replenishment. Instead, the Nile's waters primarily support nearby agricultural lands. Consequently, Lake Qarun's salinity has significantly increased since 1906, reaching levels higher than that of seawater at 40 g/l. The lake has suffered from various forms of pollution, including garbage, untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial waste. These pollutants have resulted in the disappearance of numerous fish species. Additionally, climate change has contributed to extensive water evaporation, causing the lake to steadily shrink since the early 1900s. The combined effects of pollution and climate change have resulted in substantial economic and environmental damage.

The degradation of Lake Qarun has had severe consequences for the local community. As fish stocks sharply decline, many residents, particularly fishermen and their families, have lost their primary source of income. Consequently, they are compelled to leave their ancestral home city, 'Ezbat Soliman,' located off the lake's shore, in search of alternative means of earning a living. Some of these fishermen and their families have been displaced to Lake Nasser in Aswan, situated in the south of Egypt, while others have chosen to settle between Aswan and Fayoum, as they are unwilling to leave their land and roots. This displacement has resulted in the loss of ancestral roots and a deep emotional connection to the land.