title: The cumulative impacts of reclamation and dredging on the marine ecology and land-use in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
abstract: This article assesses the ecological and economic impacts of land reclamation and dredging through consulting recent environmental impact assessment reports. Geographic features of Bahrain during 1963-2008 are produced using Geographical Information System. Extensive but inexpensive shallow coastal areas and tidal flats have been reclaimed particularly from 1997 to 2007 at a high rate of 21 km(2)/year. Formal records show the increase in the original land mass by the year 2008 to be 91 km(2). An estimated total cumulative loss of major habitats resulting from 10 reclamation projects was around 153.58 km(2). Also much larger scale impacts should be considered resulting from the borrow areas used for the extraction of sand or infill materials. A number of key habitats and species are affected in the vicinity of these projects. The study attempts to assign a monetary value to the marine ecosystem functions. There is a need for efficient coastal zone management to regulate a sustainable use of the marine resources.
authors.affiliation: University of Bahrain, College of Science, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 32038, Sakhir, Bahrain. kzainal@uob.bh
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zainal
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Al-Madany
authors.forename: Hashim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Sayed
authors.forename: Abdelqader
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khamis
authors.forename: Suhad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Shuhaby
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Hisaby
authors.forename: Wisam
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elhoussiny
authors.forename: Ebtisam
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khalaf
mesh_terms: D001445:Bahrain; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D008386:Marine Biology; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012767:Ships / Q000379:methods