Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Environmental Issues
Water
The major concern for all Peninsula countries, particularly those of the Gulf, is water - or
rather the lack of it. Sustained periods of drought and increased water consumption over
the past decade have led to a depleted water table. Saudi Arabia will run out of groundwa-
ter long before it runs out of oil.
Bahrain's freshwater underground springs have already dried up, leaving the country re-
liant on expensive desalinated water. Yemen's groundwater levels have in recent years
dropped dramatically, due to the use of pumps for irrigation. Higher demand for residential
use is another factor forcing countries to rethink ways of managing water. Modernisation of
irrigation systems appears to be the way forward although public awareness has a role to
play too. At present, it would be unthinkable to impose a hose-pipe ban (such as that which
marks most summers in rainy Britain) on municipal and private gardens as flowering bor-
ders are considered the ultimate symbol of a modern, civilised lifestyle.
That said, mostly gone are the days when you could cross parts of Saudi and see great
green circular fields dotted across the desert. There was much to regret in the attempt to
make the desert bloom: while Saudi became an exporter of grain, it used up precious min-
eral deposits and lowered the water table, and to no great useful purpose - the country can
easily afford to import grain at the moment; there may be times to come when it cannot,
and many experts are of the opinion it's better to retain precious resources for an emer-
gency.
Arabian Wildlife at
www.arabianwildlife.com
is the online version of the Arabian Wildlife Magazine and
covers 'all facets of wildlife and conservation in Arabia'.
Pollution & Rubbish
In a region where oil is the major industry, there is always a concern about spillage and
leakage, and the illegal dumping of oil from offshore tankers is a constant irritation to the
countries of the Gulf. The oil spillage, following the deliberate release of oil by the Iraqis
during the Gulf War (
Click here
)
, resulted in an environmental catastrophe which, though
not quite as bad as initially predicted, caused significant damage that is still being ad-
dressed today.
The oil industry isn't the only sector responsible for environmental degradation. As one
of the Peninsula's fastest-growing industries, tourism is becoming a major environmental
