The activities in Egypt were linked to the identification of hotspots, which were defined by the Programme as every site that enjoys high density (or species richness) of endemic, rare or threatened species, and is exposed to the dangers of destruction or of obliteration.

The identification of hotspots in a country is a necessary and indispensable step for the conservation of sites rich in species of plants and animals. Based on the identification of such sites, advice can be given for prioritizing areas to be put under legal protection for the conservation of biodiversity resources and for their rational and sustainable utilization.

Consequently, excursions took place to eleven potential hotspots to search and inventorize the soil fauna of these sites. Some of these sites were already visited in earlier research and had been declared as Nature Reserves. They were revisited to serve as a source to establish base-line information about the species to be expected elsewhere. The excursions yielded a large number of species that were collected and which proved to be endemic, rare or threatened. They contributed to the making of a comprehensive map where hotspots in Egypt were pointed out.