English Abstract
Abstract:
The current environmental status of sand dredging companies was investigated
during November-December 2016 to monitor the impacts of their activities on the marine
environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A total of 55% of licenses of Bahrainis national
sand dredging companies followed the environmental requirements. However, these
requirements are mainly related to the air quality and the occupational health of these
companies. The remaining licenses (45%) do not follow any environmental requirements
which indicates that there is a gap between these companies and the environmental
agencies. Additionally, it is found that only (9%) of national sand dredging companies
apply siltation to their dredged material, in order to mitigate the negative impact of
dispersion of the fine silt to the marine environment.
The present study suggested a compliance plan that could help the environmental
agencies in the Kingdom of Bahrain to adopt an efficient monitoring program for these
companies and guide them to work in harmony with the national environmental
requirements and standards. Ambient sea water total suspended solid (TSS) samples were
collected and analyzed using methodologies of "MOOPAM ROPME" in the northern and
eastern locations of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The total mean of TSS in ambient sea water
samples was 6.1 mg/1. A slight difference was found in the TSS between the eastern
studied area (5.9 mg/1) and the northern studied area (6.1 mg/1). The effect of some
environmental factors such as climate temperatures, dust storms and rain level were
studied. Also, it was found that, dust storms and rain level play an important role in
increasing the amount of the TSS in the sea water of the Kingdom of Bahrain, while the
monthly climate temperatures have no significant effect on the concentrations of the TSS
in the sea water samples.
It can be concluded that there is an urgent need to apply an environmental
compliance plan and a proper management to minimize adverse influences of the national
sand dredging companies activities on the marine environment of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Also, there is a need to adopt a comprehensive compensation plan which can estimate and
compensate the environmental damages evoked by these companies.
