Is Egypt Turning Yellow?

Egypt's streets, which once invited people to walk, sit and spend time outside, are increasingly places people try to cross as quickly as possible. Cities are getting hotter, more crowded and, somehow, less green. Concrete, traffic and heat have taken over, while the trees that once softened the city are disappearing.

That is particularly striking in a country where trees have been part of the urban landscape for generations. Some of the trees being lost today have stood for decades, long before the buildings and roads around them. Their value is not simply aesthetic. Mature trees provide shade, help cool cities and make dense urban areas more livable. They are also part of the character of neighborhoods that visitors associate with Cairo.

Across Cairo, residents have recently documented trees being cut down in different cities and neighborhoods, including Dokki, Agouza, and Maadi. Photos and videos circulating online show mature trees being removed from streets and public spaces, with residents questioning who is behind the removals and why they are happening.

And it is not only a matter of fewer trees. In some places, natural green spaces are being replaced with artificial grass and decorative landscaping — green in color, but not necessarily green in function.

There is another side that is rarely part of the conversation. Research has found that vegetation can help reduce blast-wave pressure under certain conditions, giving trees and planted barriers a potential protective function in addition to their environmental benefits. That does not make trees a shield against attacks, but it does show that removing mature vegetation can mean losing more than a patch of green.

All of this is happening while the government says it wants the opposite. In September, the Ministers of Local Development and Environment directed governorates to protect trees and prevent their cutting or uprooting without the required approvals. Egyptian law also provides legal protection for trees, with penalties that can include imprisonment and fines of up to EGP 50,000 in cases covered by environmental law.

Yet tree cutting continues to appear in residents’ videos from different parts of the city. Authorities have disputed some reports, while local officials have said that trees can be removed when they pose a danger and that such cases should go through inspections and official approval.

So the question is no longer simply whether Egypt needs more trees. It is why mature trees are still disappearing while the country is calling for more green spaces and stronger protection for the trees it already has.

If mature trees provide environmental benefits and can also contribute to protection from certain urban hazards, what is gained by removing them — and who benefits when Egypt’s streets become increasingly bare?

And if cutting trees requires official approval, who is cutting them openly in the streets — and where is the accountability?