Feb 25, 2016

RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Rafah’s municipality used aerial photos of the city’s coast from Google Earth to show the erosion of more than 12 meters (39 feet) of its coast as of 2014, the result of Egypt's construction of a groin on the Egyptian side of Rafah in 2010.

The director of the Health and Environment Department for Rafah municipality, Usama Abu Nokira, told Al-Monitor, “A groin is a curved marine structure on the shoreline or a deep coastal outlet. It may be natural or artificial and protects a port or a shoreline from erosion. However, it has several negative consequences, as it increases beach erosion [elsewhere] and causes water advances toward residential areas.”

Abu Nokira said, “The groin was constructed by Egypt 1,900 meters [1.2 miles] into the Egyptian border, and it extends about 300 meters into the sea. Sandy sediments have accumulated to the south of this groin, which led to severe erosion of the coast of the Palestinian town of Rafah. The seawater advanced deep into the residential area, and if we compare the aerial photos from before the establishment of the groin and after its establishment between 2010 and 2014, it shows that Rafah’s shoreline has been bitten off by 12 meters, which means its area decreased from 66 meters to 54. This is a frightening proportion, and we expect that — according to this corrosion ratio we see in photos — corrosion between 2014 and 2016 will exceed 6 meters.”

According to Abu Nokira, Rafah’s coastline will be fully eroded as it is carved away and advancing seawater will submerge the residents’ homes in the next 10 years. He indicated that there was no communication between the municipality or any other governmental entity and the Egyptian side to cooperate on mitigating the effect of its groin.

The director-general of the Environment Protection Department of Gaza's Environment Quality Authority, Bahaa al-Agha, told Al-Monitor, “The negative effects of the Egyptian artificial groin decrease as we head north along the shores of the Gaza Strip,” noting that the disastrous effects are worst felt in the coast of Rafah city.