Enhancing the Resilience of Informal Economies in Coastal Cities Against Climate Change: An Integrated Framework for Development, Adaptation, and Mitigation A Global Comparative Case Study of Alexandria

Authors

• Safaa Mohamed ABOBAKR, Housing and building national reseatch centreFollow
• Marwa Mohamed Hassan Elrashidey, Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Al-Azhar UniversityFollow

Date of Acceptance

June 2026

Date of Submission

November 2025

Abstract

This study addresses the escalating environmental, social, and economic challenges confronting informal settlements in coastal cities, with a specific focus on Alexandria, Egypt, as a representative model of the global coastal urban crisis. The research problem centers on the extreme vulnerability of the informal sector—which constitutes approximately 55%–60% of the city’s workforce—to climate change risks, particularly sea-level rise and recurrent storm surges (Nawat). These phenomena result in chronic livelihood disruptions, with an average operational downtime of seven days per storm event, alongside the significant loss of direct physical assets.

The study employs an integrated analytical methodology that synthesizes a literature review, field analysis of 112 participants, and a comparative study of global resilience models (Manila and Dhaka), culminating in a Model Validation phase through expert consultation.

The findings indicate that enhancing resilience requires moving beyond conventional, fragmented engineering solutions toward a three-dimensional (3D) integrated framework that encompasses: (1) Economic Development: To break the Climate Poverty Trap through local resilience Revolving Funds and digital empowerment; (2) Informational Adaptation: To reduce operational downtime by 60% through participatory early warning systems; and (3) Physical Mitigation: By improving infrastructure efficiency and modifying coastal building codes for resilience. Experts validated the effectiveness of this framework with high consensus levels reaching 90%, providing an operational roadmap for policymakers to transform climate threats into genuine opportunities for achieving urban sustainability, social justice, and economic efficiency.

Recommended Citation

ABOBAKR, Safaa Mohamed and Elrashidey, Marwa Mohamed Hassan (2026) "Enhancing the Resilience of Informal Economies in Coastal Cities Against Climate Change: An Integrated Framework for Development, Adaptation, and Mitigation A Global Comparative Case Study of Alexandria," Emirates Journal for Engineering Research: Vol. 30: Iss. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uaeu.ac.ae/ejer/vol30/iss3/3