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Journal of Environmental Hydrology
ISSN 1058-3912 |
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Electronic Journal of the International Association for
Environmental Hydrology
JEH Volume 19 (2011), Paper 2 Posted January 31, 2011 LITTORAL POLLUTION ALONG THE COAST OF SAUDI ARABIA
Hussah Al-Saif ABSTRACT Saudi Arabia occupies the major portion of the Arabian Peninsula with a coastline that exceeds 3500km. More than 2400km of this coast extends along the Red Sea and the rest is on the Arabian Gulf. Along these coasts, concentrated human activities occur, especially those related to oil, power and desalination activities, and other industrial and development efforts. These activities cause littoral pollution in seawater, which impacts the marine environment and man's well being. The major pollutants are sewage outfalls, oil and chemical plumes, thermal waters, and sediment transport. This environmental condition is being examined and environmental legislation is being considered by several ministries in Saudi Arabia. The lack of credible studies makes the status quo unclear to decision makers. It is difficult to make the appropriate decisions and apply required changes. This study shows examples of pollution along the Saudi coast. New techniques were valuable, notably the use of satellite images with high resolution (IKONOS). A number of stretches were selected along the coast to identify the type, sources and flow mechanism of pollutants in the littoral zone. It is also noted that the continental shelf has a gentle slope gradient, which makes the terrestrial pollutants often settle close to the coastline which increases their harmful impact. Reference: Al-Saif, H. 2011. Littoral pollution along the coast of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Environmental Hydrology, Vol. 19, Paper 2. CONTACT: Hussah Al-Saif Princess Nora Bint Abdul Rahman University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia E-mail: hissaelseif@gmail.com |
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