ENG - UN CC:Learn

ARAB STATES
BAHRAIN
MDGs
Progress Towards Environmental Sustainability
Al-Muharraq
Manama
BAHRAIN
Bahrain suffers from a scarcity of water resources. Unchecked high population
growth, and ad hoc urbanization and industrialization, undoubtedly
contribute to the depletion of natural resources and diminish biodiversity.
The energy sector produces the highest level of CO 2 emissions of 75
Gulf of Bahrain
Qatar
% followed by waste and effluents. The two major producers are power stations and the aluminum industry. At
present, more than 90 % of Bahraini families own at least one car and about half own at least two cars.
Bahrain has approximately 126 km of coastline and 8,000 km 2 of marine area, an area where more than 90 % of the population
lives close to it, which is posing a great threat to these natural resources. For instance, it is reported that about 82% of coral
reefs in marine areas are endangered due to bleaching and pollution. Implementing sustainable development plans that concentrate
on adopting policy measures to integrate coastal zone management and conservation of marine resources represent a national
challenge.
A central committee for preparing a national plan to execute Agenda 21 has been formed from representatives of all Ministries,
NGOs, and academia. In addition, the Kingdom’s interaction with the international community and signing of many international
conventions has allowed for an opportunity to revise legislations and development plans to incorporate environmental considerations.
Furthermore, the implementation of a “National
Environmental Strategy”, currently underway, is supported by UNDP
QUICK FACTS
CURRENT PORTFOLIO BUDGET
Total UNDP and Co-Finance: $2,415,000
Total MPU and Bilateral: $422,313
Total: $2,837,313
Persian
Gulf
and should result in capacity development that would effectively
integrate the diverse policies of economic, environmental, and societal
development, thereby increasing the prospects of contributing
to environmental sustainability, as outlined under MDG 7. 1
Cumulative Total ODS Phased-Out:
37.5 ODP tonnes
SPOTLIGHT
Nationally-led Environmental Strategy Development 2
The discovery of oil in 1932 has led to a period of unrivalled industrial and economic development. In addition to economic
growth, the population has quadrupled in 70 years resulting in increased demands on available resources, such as fresh water.
The industrialisation of the country has resulted in air and water pollution, over-fishing, and land claim, putting stress on the
environment and posing a burden on natural resources. A number of fragmented environmental laws were issued in Bahrain
in the 1970s and 1980s, providing only various degrees of success.
Recognising that development must go hand in hand with proper environmental management and that a long-term strategy
is necessary to ensure coherence, the Government worked to develop a National Environmental Strategy (NES) for Bahrain that
will serve as the basis for the development of a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP). This framework will then be used
as a key instrument for promoting sustainable development in the country. Environmental Affairs of Bahrain led the project
with government funding of US$ 530,000 and technical assistance from UNDP. NGOs, the private sector and academia also contributed
knowledge on sustainable development concepts into the NES.
The preparation of the NES stands out for its nationally-driven process and cross-sectoral approach; this was the first ever exercise
where environmental issues in each sector were thoroughly analysed. Nine sectoral working groups (SWG) were formed and
composed of national links to each of the sectors. An electronic network was created with the participation of all SWGs for
exchanging data and reports. Only one international consultant was involved in the whole preparation of the NES. The development
of a National Strategy helped consolidate the many fragments from previous decrees and codified one environmental
STRATEGIES
strategy to support Bahrain’s progress towards sustainable development.
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