Environmentalists have called for more efforts to protect the argun palm, a rare desert tree prized by the ancient Egyptians that is on the verge of extinction.
Every year a noxious black smog hangs over Egypt as the seasonal burning of rice straw by farmers begins, and with it comes a surge in allergic reactions and lung infections.
Environmental activists say an oil spill off the coast of Egypt's Red Sea, which has left turtles and sea birds covered in oil, is continuing even though the government says it has been contained.