Abstract:

Bahrain’s marine environment has been intensively exposed to different environmental pressures in the past few decades due to multiple competing uses including dredging, reclamation, fishing, desalination, transport, tourism, and recreation among others. Subsequently, marine environmental quality is being threatened which in turn can adversely affect those uses. Hence, proper management and monitoring of the marine environment is essential.

This study investigated the extent to which management and monitoring of marine environmental quality has progressed in Bahrain since the establishment of the first environmental authority in 1980 till 2018. The study was based on systematic document analysis and followed a criteria-based evaluation approach in order to assess the progress made over the years as well as to identify main gaps and weaknesses concerning marine management, marine environmental quality monitoring, and reporting of monitoring results.

The study revealed that management framework has progressed positively with respect to marine spatial planning, assessment of environmental pressures, and tools to protect the marine environment while no progress was made with respect to setting specific marine environmental objectives and integrating monitoring activities with each other. In addition, the study showed that marine environmental quality monitoring programs have expanded to cover more marine areas but other elements of monitoring such as monitoring frequency and techniques remained more or less the same since 1993. With regard to reporting of monitoring data, report contents were good in general while data presentation has slightly improved over the years.

Despite the progress made, several gaps and weaknesses have been identified including lacking of a marine zoning plan, inadequate assessment of diffuse sources of marine pollution and external pressures, absence of specific marine environmental quality objectives, poor integration of monitoring activities, and limited tools for protecting the marine environment. Moreover, monitoring programs design may hindered their ability to provide an early warning against environmental damage. Lastly, data analysis and presentation in monitoring reports were found to be insufficient.

Consequently, this study proposed a five-step plan to improve the current management framework and monitoring activities. The plan entails adopting a marine zoning system, conducting a rapid risk assessment study, setting specific marine environmental quality objectives, building a network of integrated monitoring activities, and enhancing management options for protecting the marine environment. The plan calls for more integrated, participatory, and adaptive approach to manage Bahrain’s marine environment and sustain its capacity to satisfy its current and future uses.