Da Zanbokom Highlights Egypt’s Critical Climate Crisis

• Reporter: Malak Tamer
• Edited by: Alia Aglan
• Photograph Credits: Communications Office

In 2020, the World Bank ranked Egypt as the driest country on Earth, receiving just 18 millimeters (mm) of annual rainfall. In 2024, the Air Quality Index listed Egypt as the sixth most polluted country in the world. 

With the risk of worsening drought, pollution, and the very real impact of climate change, experts warn that the country’s environmental challenges are becoming increasingly critical.

It was this sense of urgency that prompted Jillian Campana, Theater professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Research, to develop Da Zanbokom (It Is Your Fault), an environment-focused play that was performed at AUC from February 12 to 17.

Da Zanbokom is divided into five distinct plays, each set in a different area in Egypt, including Aswan, Sharm El Sheikh and South Sinai, Port Said, Sheikh Zayed, and the AUC campus.

The audience was split into groups, each assigned one of the short plays before rotating until they had seen all five performances. Each was staged in a different location on campus to truly differentiate them.

Campana says she wanted to explore the specific climate challenges each area faces and how they respond to them. These challenges include climate anxiety, extreme weather, water scarcity, pollution, environmental cleanliness, green space, and gentrification.

“Places in the Nile Delta are more affected by problems with the soil, by salt in the soil, by flooding, and by extreme weather to a certain extent,” said Campana. 

One play, Snowball in Heaven, was set in Sheikh Zayed and depicted the extreme weather fluctuations and climate shifts that occur year-round, ranging from intense heat to bitter cold. 

In preparation for the play segments, Campana conducted several research projects on Egyptian governorates to better assess the climate crisis.  One of the things that stood out most to her was how Aswan recorded Egypt’s second-highest temperature last year of 50.1 degrees Celsius.

These elevated temperatures increase evaporation rates, putting additional strain on the already limited water supply coming mainly from the Nile River. 

Water wastage then becomes a critical factor, says Essam Mohamed, environmental researcher and assistant professor at AUC’s Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology.

“We also still have agriculture areas that are irrigated with old, traditional methods, which consume and waste 50 to 60 percent of the water,” he added.

The issues raised by the play’s segments are having an impact with AUC students.

Karma Michael, a Film Junior who attended the play, says she recognized the severity of the water scarcity issue in Aswan. She admitted she never realized that people could go days without water and that even when it’s available, its poor quality can often cause illnesses. 

Malak Atef, also a Film junior, agreed and explained that the play pushed her to be more mindful of her actions. 

“It [the play] made me reflect on how I might be unintentionally worsening these issues through small but careless habits. Like, for example, leaving the water on while brushing my teeth. That’s so wasteful of me,” said Atef.

The play also strongly advocates for raising awareness about pollution as a leading cause of climate change in Egypt. 

“It’s got to be a mass collective effort and the only way that can happen is through the educational system,” said Campana. 

Other AUC initiatives have taken place to better address the climate crisis. On February 18, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Middle East and North Africa at AUC took a step toward addressing climate issues by announcing the Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the Environment (HAPIE) as a new extension to the Egypt Impact Lab (EIL), an initiative designed to aid governmental partners in making evidence and data-based decisions.

HAPIE represents a milestone for the EIL, marking their expansion into the climate change and energy sectors. The Sawiris Foundation, Community Jameel and UNICEF are key players behind the funding of the project, with a partnership between J-PAL MENA and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development kickstarting the launch of EIL.

The press conference of the launch witnessed the attendance of Her Excellency o Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, who emphasized that the extension aims to work on improving water access and the cleanliness of the air in Egypt by co-generating evidence and informing the policy decisions of government partners.

“This synergy is in line with the Ministry’s Framework for Sustainability and Financing for Economic Development, ensuring that evidence-based policies drive inclusive sustainable growth and deliver a measurable impact for Egypt’s future,” she further commented.

Initiatives like HAPIE and Da Zanbokom have inspired progress and serve as drivers of change, especially among the youth who will have to deal with the consequences of climate change for years to come.

“They will be the population that will suffer from water scarcity, reduced food security, and they will be living in harsh conditions,”  Mohamed said.