P.K. Krishnakumar, Mohammed Qurban, Khaled A. Abdulkader*, Yusef H. Fadlalla*, Mohammed Ashraf and M. Asif Khan

Centre for Environment & Water, Research InstituteKing Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals,

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

*Environmental Protection Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

TOPIC OVERVIEW

Introduction

Major Impacting Activities

Types of Impacts

Case Study from Tarut Bay

Landfilling

Coastal Discharges

Management Strategies

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Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems and important breeding and nursery grounds for fish and invertebrate species.

Mangroves along the Gulf coast and Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia facing tremendous pressures due to coastal development activities.

Major stressors include landfilling, dredging, coastal development, solid and liquid waste disposal.

The extent of mangrove forests along the Saudi Arabian Gulf has decreased considerably. For example, in Tarut Bay alone it showed drastic reduction.

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MAJOR IMPACTING ACTIVITIES

Landfilling & dredging

Disposal of solid-wastes and garbage

Untreated or poorly treated waste discharge

Oil and industrial pollution

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6

SI. NO.

ACTIVITY IMPACTS REFERENCES

1 Coastal construction and changes in land use.

Alteration of hydrological regimes (modifying the tidal flow and seawater supply to the mangroves), interruption of littoral drift, reduced flushing etc.

PERSGA, 2004

2 Organic pollution

Retarded growth, incidence of dead and aberrant pneumatophores. High organic C lead to reduction of soil redox potential.

Mandura, 1997Saenger et al.1995Crona et al. 2009

3 Oil and industrial pollution

Acute effects (mortality) occur within 6 months to few weeks. Branching of pneumatophores, germination failure, decreased canopy cover, increased rate of mutation etc.

Burns et al. 1993Böer, 1993.

4 Disposal of solid-wastes and garbage.

Serious physical impacts, particularly on young seedlings and pneumatophores.Interfere with water circulation by blocking tidal channels.

PERSGA, 2004

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Biotope MapSeagrassMangroves

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More than 11 percent of the total area of Tarut Bay (i.e., total 432.79 km2) was filled.

Approximately 2 percent (i.e., 10.16 km2) of the bay, outside of the shipping channels and berthing areas, has been dredged.

Major landfill areas outlined in yellow

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Loss of around 232 hectares (37%)

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Loss of around 287 hectares from 1973 to 2007 (46%).

LAND FILLED AREAS IN TARUT BAY

Safwa STP Sanabis STP

Awamiya STP & Nasira Agricultural

Jaruadiyah STP

Majidia Agricultural Discharge

Anak North Agricultural Discharge

Anak South Agriculture discharge

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STUDY AREA

TOTAL ESTIMATED DISCHARGES (m3/day)

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In excess of PME standards for direct discharge to receiving waters for a 30 day average.

With in the PME Limits14

The southern corniche area of Jeddah receives through Al-Kumra effluent the equivalent of 300,000 m3 of semi-treated sewage.

Basaham et al. 2009

IMAPCT OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE

Example from Red Sea

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Live Coral Cover

Coral (%) = 0.6149x2 - 2463Year + 2E+06

R2 = 0.72

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

YEARS

Liv

e C

ora

l Co

ve

r (%

)

Toatl Fish Species

Fish Species = 1E+48e-0.05 Years

R2 = 0.36

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

YEARS

To

tal F

ish

Sp

ec

ies

(S

)

Provide protection against dredging, filling, and other development;

Designate mangroves as protected areas;

Protect mangroves from pollution particularly industrial effluent, sewage, and sediment;

Ensure that all developments planned for mangroves are subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR MANGROVE CONSERVATION

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