The Wadi El Rayan Protected Area Project has been implemented during the period February 1998 - June 2001, and it has bee extended until end of October  2003. The objective of the project was to support the management of WRPA, thus contributing to the enhancement of Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs (MSEA) - Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) capabilities to put into practice nature conservation actions on a sustainable basis. 

 The project has substantially achieved its objectives, and has been successful in firmly establishing a well managed protected area. However, to ensure further sustainability to the results achieved, and to address new emerging priorities, it is  a second phase starting June 2004,  is currently under implementation.

The project is pursuing the general aim of “enhancing EEAA capabilities to plan and implement nature conservation on a sustainable basis, thus contributing to the preservation and protection of the biotic communities of plants and animals, as well as of the other natural features, of a portion of the Egyptian Western Desert”.

More specifically, the project is pursuing the following objectives: 1. Strengthen the capacity of the PAMU to manage and conserve the WRPA ecosystem in accordance with internationally recognized guidelines and strategies related to the protection and sustainable management of natural resources and the approved management plan for the protected area.  2. Strengthen the PAMU’s collaborative management with local stakeholders by supporting a participatory approach in the management of the PA as envisaged in the Management Planning System for Protected Areas used by NCS. 3. Promote the development of ecotourism based on the natural assets of WRPA in accordance with the management plan and the guidelines set out in the Investment Plan developed during the first phase of the project. 4. Promote the WRPA as a leading site for environmental education and communication through development of field-based activities, which address biodiversity conservation and sustainable development issues and enhance public support for the protection of the area (in accordance with the management plan). 5. Strengthen the integration of the recreational and educational function of Wadi El Rayan and Medinet Madi to contribute to the broader development of sustainable tourism in the Fayoum district. 6. Develop and implement a site-specific plan for the conservation of the Wadi Hitan area of WRPA as a world heritage site, ensuring the long-term participation of local stakeholders and the private sector in the sound and collaborative management of the site. 7. Enhance the management capacity of the environmental office (EMU) in the Fayoum Governorate to enable it to fulfill its environmental protection function in support of WRPA effectively

 Based on the project’s seven specific objectives, the following seven key outputs are envisaged each arising from a series of targeted activities:

• Output 1. The PAMU is strengthened through the enhancement of its administrative and technical capacities and increased financial sustainability.

• Output 2. Key stakeholders are involved in the collaborative management of the protected area.

• Output 3. The ecotourism sector linked to the PA is developed and diversified.

• Output 4. Wadi El Rayan becomes a leading site for environmental education.

• Output 5. The recreational and educational functions of Wadi El Rayan and Medinet Madi are integrated.

• Output 6. The Wadi Hitan area of the WRPA is effectively managed as a world heritage site.

• Output 7. The enhancement of the management capacity of the EMU office in the Fayoum Governorate.

Download full Project document (Pdf)

Download the Wadi El Rayan Management Plan (Pdf)