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

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CHAPTER 4
COASTAL AREAS
FIGURE 11
and large expanses have been developed into
beach resorts. The most intensively developed
tourist areas on the Red Sea are the cities <strong>of</strong>
NATURAL PROTECTORATES ESTABLISHED IN THE
SINAI PENINSULA ON THE GULF OF AQABA AND
GULF OF SUEZ
Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. Significant
tourist development has also taken place at many
minor towns on the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Aqaba coast as well
as at Safaga and Quseir on the Egyptian Red Sea
coast, and the northern sector <strong>of</strong> the Gulf <strong>of</strong>
Suez. To an extent this has probably exceeded
carrying capacities <strong>of</strong> the area. Evidence <strong>of</strong> reef
degradation due to tourism and other activities is
clear even in areas such as the Ras Mohammad
National Park in Egypt (El Shaer et al., 2009).
Large recreational cities and centres have been
developed in Saudi Arabia along the Jeddah
coastline.
Saudi Arabia lies at the crossroads <strong>of</strong> three continents,
Europe, Asia and Africa. It extends from
(EEAA Protectorates <strong>of</strong> Egypt)
the Red Sea on the west with a coast <strong>of</strong> 1,760 km
long, to the Gulf on the east with a 650 km long
coast. More than 50 percent <strong>of</strong> the population <strong>of</strong>
Saudi Arabia lives within 100 km <strong>of</strong> the Saudi
coastline. The coastal region houses cities, towns,
and myriads <strong>of</strong> factories and processing plants.
The interface between the land and sea is the
main site for the import and export <strong>of</strong> goods and
services essential for the wellbeing and economic
prosperity <strong>of</strong> the country. The coastline is the
location <strong>of</strong> desalination plants that supply the
bulk <strong>of</strong> the country’s drinking water, oil refineries
and petrochemical factories, and a number <strong>of</strong>
cement plants in addition to a growing recreational
and tourism industry (Saudi Arabia Initial
National Communication, UNFCCC).
Because <strong>of</strong> the great length <strong>of</strong> the Saudi Arabian
coastline, only vulnerable industrial and populated
coastal zone cities that could be affected by
SLR have been mentioned. On the eastern coast
<strong>of</strong> Saudi Arabia along the Gulf, Dammam, Ras
Tanura, Jubail and Khafji have been selected as
the most vulnerable coastal zone areas. On the
western coast, along the Red Sea, Jeddah,
Rabigh, Yanbu and Jizan have been selected as
the most vulnerable coastal areas.
In general, the coastal zone problems are already
critical in many parts <strong>of</strong> the Red Sea and Gulf <strong>of</strong>
Aden. The potential impacts <strong>of</strong> the predicted
global changes will be diverse and important for
human populations. The major impacts will follow
from one or more <strong>of</strong> the following mechanisms:
shoreline retreat; flooding and flood risk;
direct exposure to coastal environment; and
saline intrusion and seepage (Tawfiq, 1994).
It is expected that in the absence <strong>of</strong> strong institutional
systems for monitoring, a shortage <strong>of</strong>
awareness, and inadequate law enforcement
capabilities, the coastal resources in the Red Sea
will continue deteriorating and that the losses
due to climate changes in the region will be far
less than those due to human activities.
V. EXTREME EVENTS
The Arab region is well known to suffer from
extreme events <strong>of</strong> many types: earthquakes,
droughts, flash floods, dust storms, storm surges
and heat waves. The damage associated with