Siwa, an isolated culturally rich region in Egypt has slowly been the center stage of focus especially due to its fast growing fame as a tourist hub. Siwa has remained an isolated community for centuries, but the globalizing forces within this land have ensured that traditional traits are quickly being replaced by elements of modernity. For over a decade now, the Environmental Quality International has had a massive influence in the protection of traditional culture in this habitat that is placed approximately twenty miters below the sea level (Vivian, 2000).
The main objective of the Environmental Quality International is to protect the local culture as well as the habitat of this region against the effects of modernity. Their scope of operations is entrenched on the idea that tradition can be preserved and harvested to integrate it to the modernized world.
When the case of Siwa is examined, there are several stakeholders. One of the main stakeholders is the Environmental Quality International. This organization as a stakeholder is focused towards protecting the rich cultural heritage at Siwa. The cultural heritage is protected on the basis of cultural techniques and materials that defined the traditional life. The other stakeholder is the Egyptian government through the provincial administration.
This stakeholder is concerned with reaping the greatest benefit from Siwa at the expense of sustainability. Like most economic driven economies, the authorities at Siwa are more interested in increasing the possible flow of tourists in the market as opposed to sustainable development (Pineda & Brebbia, 2010).
The third stakeholder is the business community that seems to have noticed the potential that this, formally isolated village can bring in terms of finances. As noted in the case study, this has led to plans to construct massive hotels for guests which may ruin the traditional practices of Siwa inhabitants due to excessive contact with outside world. The last stakeholder is the community. As a stakeholder, the community is entrenched in a desire to modernize as opposed to maintaining its rich traditional culture.
When the EQI’s organization culture and its approach to risk management are brought to scrutiny, it is evident that the company has a sharp focus on maintaining the cultural hegemony. The company is also portrayed as one that is research driven which allows it to blend well in the unique local culture. This culture has enabled the company to successfully mitigate risks posed by external forces by ensuring that its efforts are not in any way focused towards the breaking of cultural hegemony. This can be attested where the company is forced to pay women working as traditional weavers a lower rate to ensure that the women do not outdo their men as far as earnings were concerned as this would result in cultural tensions in a society that places men above women.
Among the potential sources of risk at Siwa is the cultural setting of the community. Siwa is a place torn between modernity and tradition with varying forces advocating for the either. This threatens the project advocated for by the EQI as its main emphasis is sustainable development within a cultural setting. The other potential source of risk is the declining water table (Hood, 2008). The need to increase agricultural output has led to increased number of wells thus affecting the water table.
Besides, there is the issue of commercialization of Siwa where business men are focused towards immediate profits as opposed to sustainability. This also includes economic exploitation of Siwa resources such as excessive bottling of oasis water some by the country’s military for commercial purposes (Hebeishy, 2010). The fourth source of risk for the project’s sustainability is the government which seems less interested in provision of policies that are meant to guarantee sustainability.
References
Hebeishy, M., E. (2010). Frommer’s Egypt. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Hood, M., A. (2008). River Time: Ecotravel on the World’s Rivers. New York: SUNY Press.
Pineda, F., D. & Brebbia, C., A. (2010). Sustainable Tourism IV. New York: WIT Press.
Vivian, C. (2000). The western desert of Egypt: an explorer’s handbook. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.