The Egyptian Prime Minister, Moustafa Madbouly, has said that Egypt has lost 90,000 acres of agricultural land since the 1980s. During a press conference on reconciliation over construction violations in Egypt, Madbouly announced that random and unplanned construction has placed tremendous pressure on the state. He added that the encroachments have so far exceeded 400,000 acres. He pointed out that random construction has drained state resources.
The minister explained that from the mid-1980s to 2015, 80 per cent of construction was unplanned, which led to a number of problems and challenges. The Egyptian authorities are carrying out a massive campaign to remove informal settlements and illegal buildings, which angered many citizens, who have no shelter except on the street. Egyptians say they have had to build illegally because the government has not provided them with alternative places. According to government data, during the period from March 25 until August 4, 9,609 building violations were removed in urban areas and 20,447 on agricultural land.
