Dr. Arturo Rey da Silva

EEZ Project Region

This ten-month project is crucial for the survival and preservation of underwater cultural heritage in the eastern Mediterranean, particularly in Egypt’s Exclusive Economic Zone, where current policies and enforcement are inadequate, particularly when compared to other countries of the eastern Mediterranean. Research and preservation policies for maritime archaeology are not uniform throughout the eastern Mediterranean region. Issues of internal administration, maritime boundaries, national protection, and economic development can impede awareness, research, and comprehension of the underwater heritage found in specific maritime zones, thus resulting in an immeasurable gap in our understanding of the past in the eastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, expanding economic activities such as the oil and gas industry in the Exclusive Economic Zone, pose increasing threats to the preservation of the underwater heritage if appropriate measures are not in place. The present project aims to evaluate this gap, analyze current policies, engage with developers and decision-makers, and identify the most effective methodological approaches for dealing with the submerged heritage found in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Egypt, with the objective of developing a better set of regulations and protocols to safeguard it. By developing a collaborative network of stakeholders between heritage practitioners, industry and decision makers, the project will bridge significant gaps in heritage preservation, integrate heritage into marine development strategies, and foster cross-administration collaborations to develop better policies and heritage safeguarding practice in Egypt. The project aligns with the challenges identified at the 5th HFF Policy Forum, and the collaborative work carried outs in other countries in the region such as Lebanon to better implement the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The project is part of the research on Ocean Heritage Governance, Policy and Practice conducted at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme (CHFP), the Ocean Decade Heritage Network (ODHN), and the work of the HFF Steering Committee.