Discovering new natural resources is important for sustainable development of remote oases in arid
regions of Africa and the Middle East. The first comprehensive assessment of geological heritage of the
Siwa Oasis in the northwestern part of Egypt is based on field inventory of potentially unique geological
features and analysis of literature data. Comparison to similar features in the other parts of Egypt and the
world, including the Russian South, is essential to evaluate the uniqueness of the described geological
phenomena. A total of nine geological heritage types are established in the Siwa Oasis. These include
stratigraphical, palaeontological, sedimentary, palaeogeographical, hydrological and hydrogeological,
geothermal, pedological, geomorphological, and economical types. The most high-ranked are features
constituting sedimentary, palaeogeographical, and hydrological and hydrogeological types. The former
can be found in the old Shali town built from evaporite stones experienced diagenetic changes, and the
latter is local manifestation of the EoceneeOligocene palaeoenvironmental transition different from the
global cooling trend. Additionally, saline lakes and pools, as well as stratigraphical sections, landforms,
and some other features demonstrate certain uniqueness. A series of geosites are identified in the oasis
and vicinities. Taken together, the geological heritage of the Siwa Oasis is significant for conservation and
exploitation for research, education, and tourism purposes. It is suggested that geological tourism there
should be combined with archaeological, industrial, and "ordinary" to become efficient and to contribute
to the local sustainable development. Examples from the Russian South (the Big Tambukan and Big
Yashalta lakes) permit to realize that the consideration of salt and therapeutic mud resource indicates on
the higher value of the discussed geological heritage features of the Siwa Oasis. Moreover, this resource,
which is of big uniqueness itself, can contribute substantially to tourism development on the basis of
unique geological phenomena. |
