A Holistic Human Ecosystem Approach to Alexandria's Corniche & Beaches

Alexandria and its region comprise an ecological edge between land, water and sea. Known for its beaches and corniche it resembles an urban - natural interface (edge). Conflicting uses of an exploding population are intensely pressing the water line triggering protesting citizen acts and law suits calling for sound solution as the available shore line. After losing many beaches while widening the corniche a slow process of marine protection and regain is on the way, but it falls short to encompass all needs and factors in a regenerative manner, unless a holistic ecosystem vision is adopted to satisfy the human needs of beaches, recreation, view, pedestrian amenity, investment, urban development, fears of possible future inundation and lost ecological regeneration. The paper aims at providing the bases for approaching the corniche and beaches from an imperative holistic human ecosystem perspective.