Corinna Rossi and Ashraf Salem presented the results of the latest studies on the area of Umm al-Dabadib to the Ministry of the Antiquities and to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) in Cairo. These two meetings represented the chance to combine all the available information and data on the area that have been collected over the last years by the Ministry of the Antiquities, the EEAA and the Italian Mission to Umm al-Dabadib.
Both Ministries are working on the area: Dr Yasmin al-Shazly and her team are working on the Egyptian application to UNESCO to acknowledge Kharga and the Small Southern Oases as a Mixed (nature+culture) Area; the area was accepted in the Tentative List in October 2015, thanks to the efforts of Prof. Samir Ghabbour and the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission. Assistant Minister Dr Fatma Mohsen and her team are working on the creation of Protected Areas in Egypt and decided to focus on the area of Umm al-Dabadib, already identified several years ago as an ideal candidate.
The results of the latest research on the local cultural heritage and environment were presented to both teams. Discussions were held on the possible boundaries of the proposed EEAA Protected Area, on the issues relating to the overlapping of management of the archaeological remains and the environment, and on the way in which the area could be exploited in touristic terms. The decision was taken to organize an expedition to the area, in order to check on the field the latest details.
The Minister of the Antiquities HE Khaled al-Enani and the Minister of the Environment HE Khaled Fahmy were informed and gave their approval to the continuation of these activities, that will hopefully lead to the integrated conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Kharga Oasis.