Comment on “Soaring Building Collapses in Southern Mediterranean Coasts: Hydroclimatic Drivers &amp; Adaptive Landscape Mitigations” <i>by Fouad et al.</i>

Abstract Fouad et al. (2025), https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ef004883 highlight the effect of hydrodynamic drivers and their adverse effects on shoreline variation, soil, and building foundations. This is acknowledged and appreciated. However, the article's attempt to correlate hydroclimatic drivers with building collapses in South Mediterranean cities (e.g., Alexandria) raises several concerns. In particular, it singles out the adverse effects on foundations from the bottom up as the sole cause of building collapses and bases its predictions solely on this factor. In the writer's opinion, and from a structural engineering perspective, this may not encompass the range of all contributing causes, and could have overestimated the role of certain factors while possibly overlooking others. Moreover, the 5 cm depth of soil tests used does not provide sufficient insights for evaluating structural soil properties and failure causes according to established building codes. In the article's abstract , the reported number of 7,000 buildings is stated, however, not mentioned in the body of paper, requiring clarification and justification. The commentary attempts to provide insights into the actual causes of building collapses in Alexandria and suggests some practical engineering solutions that may mitigate some adverse effects on building foundations. Admittedly, many old buildings in Alexandria (as in other historic cities) need repair, renovations, and some demolition. The problems of building collapses and deterioration call for urgent action, comprehensive strategies, and detailed multi‐factor analyses that account for all related causes, including technical, engineering, social, and legislative factors, not just hydrodynamic drivers alone.