Gulf countries must work together to regulate and monitor impact on the Arabian Gulf coastline to mitigate adverse effects on the local marine environment, according to a recent report from United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). The report was produced by a team of researchers who have been studying marine biology in the Gulf since 2007 and recognized that coastlines across the Arabian Peninsula were facing similar challenges to their marine environments.

Due to the unprecedented scale of economic growth in the region there has been significant development along the coastlines of many Gulf countries, putting pressure on coastal ecosystems. According to research, this has contributed to considerable degradation of natural habitats, including mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and marine life.

The report cites that a number of economic growth-related factors such as coastal development and dredging, water pollution, climate change, poor enforcement of fishing regulations, and introduction of non-native invasive species into the local marine environment, have contributed to this alteration of the Gulf’s natural marine environment.

This alteration is not exclusively negative; the report also notes that coastal mega-projects have resulted in new marine environments with different species that had not previously been observed in the Gulf. Project breakwaters have been observed to serve as artificial reefs, with marine life and growth rates comparable to natural reefs.
Assistant Professor of Biology at NYUAD, and co-author of the report, John Burt said, “Across every major coastline in the Gulf there has been heavy modification of the coastal environment due to development. The report makes recommendations on how proactive, science-driven marine management could mitigate some of the negative impacts that arise from that development."

“There needs to be a balance between meeting the needs of a developing economy and managing the impact on the marine environment,” he added.

The report proposes that research-based, collaborative management plans need to be developed to protect the Gulf’s marine ecosystems. Taking steps such as improved waste management planning, pollution prevention, and the establishment of marine protected areas are strategies that can help reduce the impact on coastal environments.

Stronger policy frameworks and enforcement are also critical steps in safeguarding the Gulf’s marine environment, but will only be effectual if there is regional cooperation in this effort.

“The Arabian Gulf is one large ecosystem; marine life doesn’t recognize political boundaries, this is why there is a need to set up a Gulf-based transnational regulatory and enforcement framework backed by data and research,” Burt said.

The report is available online at: http://www.inweh.unu.edu/Coastal/Palm/documents/PolicyReport_LessonsFromTheGulf.pdf
 

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