The return of migrating flamingo flocks to Lake Qarun in Fayoum, some 120km southwest Cairo, is a real turning point on the path of ecological recovery, the Egyptian government announced. Reappearance of the birds, the government said, affirms that the lake has regained a significant portion of its original environmental standing.
The environmental recovery, according to the government, came as a result of multiple coordinated measures to treat and raise the efficiency of sanitary and industrial drainage to improve the quality of the lake water.
The flamingo return required improved water quality, food abundance, and a stable ecological system.
The environmental recovery plan for Lake Qarun included several years’ work of balanced engineering and environmental interventions, among them dredging the Bahr Youssef canal that flows into the lake,
building eight wastewater treatment plants, and raising the area’s sanitary drainage coverage from around 12 per cent to more than 85 per cent. These steps helped reduce direct sources of contamination that had long disrupted the lake’s ecosystem.
The food chain was rebuilt by introducing a broodstock of sole fish in 2022 and releasing shrimp fry between 2024 and 2025, contributing to the return of species that support migratory birds.
An added value to the return of the flamingoes is the revival of Lake Qarun as a tourist destination, especially for bird lovers.
Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, said that the return of flamingoes to Lake Qarun affirms the success of the Egyptian government in implementing an integrated plan to revive threatened ecosystems. She stressed that the return of the flamingoes is not only of aesthetic value, but opens the door to a new stage of environmental protection and ecotourism.
Watani International
30 December 2025
