Environmental Issues in the Middle East By: Shelby Butcher

Overview  There are many environmental issues in the middle east including: waste disposal, clean water, pollution, drainage of marshlands, and desertification. The middle east is such a growing region that urbanization is occurring and many of these issues get overlooked until they are too big of a problem to be overlooked any longer.

Water  Clean water is one of the biggest environmental issues in the middle east. All of the water requires distillation by distillation plants or else it is undrinkable. Although these plants help purify water, they also produce high levels of carbon dioxide and sludge which ironically drains into the Persian Gulf where they get most of their water.

Waste  In some areas of the middle east like the city of Dubai for example, there has been twice as much waste produced as they can handle. Much of the waste has been dumped into drains and flows into nearby neighborhoods.

Drainage of Marshlands  A marshland is a low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation. It is usually the “transition zone” between grass and water. There are some marshlands in the middle east, but the largest marshlands lie within Iraq.

Drainage of Marshlands  The marshlands of Iraq are being drained and destroyed. Because they are being destroyed, the soil is losing its salinity. This is depriving Iraq of crucial agricultural land and has caused a loss of dairy production, fishing and rice cultivation. It also increases salt water intrusion and an overflow of pollutants.

UN Involvement  In 2001, UNEP alerted the international community to the destruction of the Marshlands when it released satellite images showing that 90 percent of the Marshlands had already been lost. It was a concern that within 3 to 5 years, the entire marshlands would be lost.

UN Involvement  The UNEP "support for Environmental Management of the Iraqi Marshland" came together in August 2004, in order to try to start repairing the damaged marshlands. The UNEP project aims to support the sustainable management and restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands, by: monitoring marsh conditions, and providing water, sanitation, and wetland management options on a pilot basis.

Future  As the population increases, so will the need for a stable economy and then the urbanization will rise as well.  As urbanization increases, so will the need for space and use of resources. Because of this, the demand for clean water will rise and so will the destruction of the marshlands.

Pictures Urbanization causing pollution. Clean water supply is very scarce as population increases. The Marshlands. Desertification.