Impact of Climate Change on Arab Countries - (IPCC) - Working ...

ARAB ENVIRONMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE 51
tourism among Arab and European countries
<strong>of</strong> the region.
The Red Sea and Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden
Sub-region
The Red Sea has a surface area <strong>of</strong> about 450,000
km2 and varies in width from 30 to 280 kilometres.
It has an average depth <strong>of</strong> about 500m, with
extensive shallow shelves well known for their
marine life and corals. The southern entrance at
Bab-el-Mandab is only 130m deep, which
restricts water exchange <strong>of</strong> water between the Red
Sea and the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden (Gerges, 2002), hence
the sea is vulnerable to increasing pollution by
land-based sources from surrounding countries as
well as the heavy shipping traffic through this passage.
The Red Sea is also considered a very
important water way for oil from the Gulf area
through the Suez Canal to Europe.
Resources <strong>of</strong> the Red Sea and Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aden are a
source <strong>of</strong> economic, social and cultural prosperity,
providing subsistence and commercial food
supplies, as well as domestic and international
tourist destinations. They also provide a strategically
important transport route for shipping
(especially petroleum products) and trading <strong>of</strong>
rich and varied cultural heritage. Together, they
are also a globally significant repository <strong>of</strong> marine
and coastal biodiversity, having the highest biodiversity
<strong>of</strong> any enclosed sea.
The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. It
contains fairly distinct faunal species subsets,
many <strong>of</strong> which are unique. Approximately 6.3%
<strong>of</strong> the coral species are endemic to the Red Sea.
Mangrove and seagrass communities are an
important feature <strong>of</strong> the coastal areas and provide
significant productivity and input <strong>of</strong> nutrients.
Inshore, halophytic salt marsh vegetation and
sabkhas (seasonally flooded low-lying coastal
plains) cover much <strong>of</strong> the coast (Gerges, 2002).
The Red Sea is characterized by its high biodiversity
<strong>of</strong> marine habitats, life, corals and sea grass. It
therefore attracts tourism from all over the world
all year around. A large number <strong>of</strong> highly populated
resorts and diving centres have been established
with a variety <strong>of</strong> tourism services. Tourism
centres have been established at many coastal
areas along the Red Sea including the Gulf <strong>of</strong>
Suez and Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aqaba. In addition, large tourist
and economic cities such as Sharm El Sheikh and
Hurghada as well as a number <strong>of</strong> industrial cities
such as Suez, Jeddah and Aqaba are situated along
its coast.
The ROPME Gulf Sub-region
The ROPME Gulf sub-region has a surface area
<strong>of</strong> 239,000 km 2 , a mean depth <strong>of</strong> 36 m, and an
average volume <strong>of</strong> 8,630,000 km 3 . Because <strong>of</strong> the
relative shallowness and water clarity <strong>of</strong> the
coastal areas, the Gulf supports highly productive
coastal habitats, such as the extensive intertidal
mudflats, seagrass and algae beds, mangroves and
coral reefs (Munawar, 2002). The most pressing
environmental concerns include the decline <strong>of</strong>
seawater quality, degradation <strong>of</strong> marine and
coastal environments, coral bleaching and coastal
reclamation (ROPME, 2004).
The sub-region is also extremely rich in terms <strong>of</strong>
marine life, and it hosts many good fishing
grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl
oysters. It has come under pressures from fast
urbanization and industrialization. In particular,
petroleum spillages during the recent wars and
conflicts have placed severe stresses on the region.
III. ISSUES OF MAIN CONCERN
The Arab world’s coastal regions suffer from a
number <strong>of</strong> important environmental problems
including:
• Population growth, unemployment and
shortage <strong>of</strong> awareness
Population growth rates in the coastal regions are
much higher than those in other regions, which
are already high. The shortage <strong>of</strong> employment
opportunities is the main concern <strong>of</strong> many <strong>of</strong> the
Arab countries not only because <strong>of</strong> the low capacities
but also <strong>of</strong> the shortage <strong>of</strong> specialized experts.
• Unplanned Urbanization
Many Arab coastal cities are expanding at high
rates, without due consideration to planning for
future needs. Many slum areas are being created
with associated shortages <strong>of</strong> adequate sanitation
and socioeconomic problems. In addition, the
shortage <strong>of</strong> proper land use planning has created
many problems <strong>of</strong> services and overconsumption.