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Climate change, rising sea level threaten Egypt’s Alexandria

During the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson painted a bleak picture of Egypt’s Alexandria, warning that it could disappear under rising seas.

Egyptians fish on the seaside in the coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, May 21, 2016.
Egyptians fish on the seaside in the coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, May 21, 2016. — Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

During the inauguration speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) held in the Scottish city of Glasgow from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned the Egyptian city of Alexandria, which is one of the cities threatened to disappear under rising seas should the earth temperature rise by 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit), unless the climate changes are addressed.

Johnson's statements on Alexandria received wide media coverage in Egypt and a great deal of interest from Egyptians, especially on social media, where many online users expressed their fears, urging the government to take proactive steps to confront climate change. Others seem to be skeptical of Johnson’s warnings, deeming them as pessimistic of the future.

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