Social Action Against Everyday Pollution in Egypt

Environmental issues are widely discussed in contemporary Egypt. This paper examines how everyday forms of environmentalist action relate to the definition of the problems people give and is based on research carried out between 1995 and 1997 in three localities within greater Cairo and in one village north of the city. The focus is on the "brown agenda" of waste and pollution. Our evidence shows that although the media play a role in framing problems, most definitions arise from experience. Response to these problems is mostly by individuals and small groups, partly because of restrictions on public political activity. Our respondents tended to think of the government as the main source of solutions, but they also blamed other people, like themselves, for dirty streets. They sought to cooperate with neighbors while remaining skeptical that this would really work. NGOs play little role. People are generally very concerned about pollution, though economic concerns rank first. Actions are limited by the way the problem is framed and by power constraints reflecting class.