Salouga and Ghazal Protected Area is one of the smallest protectorates in Egypt. It contains two main islands named Salouga and Ghazal managed by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Authority (EEAA)
The name Salouga means waterfall in the ancient Nubian language. The two islands are located in the Nile River south of the city of
Aswan
Aswan (, also ; ar, أسوان, ʾAswān ; cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲁⲛ ) is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate.
Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the ...
but downstream of the
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam, or more specifically since the 1960s, the Aswan High Dam, is one of the world's largest embankment dams, which was built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. Its significance largely eclipsed the previous Aswan L ...
. It was established in 1986 with the purpose of protecting the biological diversity of threatened animals, plants and mammals.
The designation of these islands in the
River Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest rive ...
includes:
...they support a luxuriant natural vegetation cover including some of the only remnants of natural nilotic vegetation existing in the Nile Valley before cultivation by man. The islands protectorate shelters a botanical diversity of some 94 species... (including) many characteristic Nile fauna, particularly birds. The Protected Area plays an important
role in preserving an exceptionally beautiful natural landscape of the Nile River at Aswan, which has long been one of the city’s primary tourist attractions.
Increasing human pressures, including the careless use of fires on the mainland, have led to seriously damaging fires on the two islands.
References
Protected areas of Egypt
Protected areas established in 1986
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