Findings and Discussions on Coastal Evolution of Kuwait, Review of Laws and Perspective of Developed Strategies
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Journal of Image and Graphics, Volume 1, No.1, March, 2013 Findings and Discussions on Coastal Evolution of Kuwait, Review of Laws and Perspective of Developed Strategies S. Baby1, 2 1Birla Institute of Technology, Department of Remote Sensing & Geoinformatics, Mesra, India. 2GEO Environmental Consultation, Hawally, P. O. Box: 677, Al-Surra 4507, Kuwait. Email: [email protected] Abstract—The development, life style and supportive system nature of CML transformation from human intervention have exploited the coast more rather than the interior that took place in the coastal zone of Kuwait since early offshore land of Kuwait, thereby altering the morphological 1960s i.e. more than five (5) decades. During these landscape through built up structures, population migration, interlude of time the natural coastal landscape have coastline change, habitat change and land use apart from undergone tremendous change. natural process. As a result Kuwait’s coastal landscape has been subjected to tremendous evolution which was studied from remotely sensed images, historical pictures, aerial II. RESEARCH METHODS AND FRAMEWORK video survey and various visuals. Each of the section Here are general techniques and tools (referred from documents the research result in itself that was accomplished with specific purpose that takes the entire Baby (2010) [3] that were utilized for the research: studies to the ultimate goal of exploring the trend in coastal Data and Input Information: evolution. The important tool used for the study was 1) Primary information: (a) field work (b) Remote Sensing Techniques, Geographical Information reconnaissance survey with ground and aerial (flight) System, Interpretation of Images, Analytical Hierarchical survey and (c) remotely sensed data. Procedure, Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix, and Carrying 2) Secondary and collateral information. Capacity Model. 3) Literature review. Index Terms—Images and photographs, mesopotamian 4) Interviews, questionnaires and discussions. marshland; demographic; coastline; challenges and conflicts; 5) Tools and Techniques: interrelationship diagraph. 6) Application of Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS) and processing software. 7) Geographical Positioning System (GPS). I. INTRODUCTION 8) Choropleth mapping with exploratory data Coastal zones extending from coastal plains across the analysis. continental shelves are regions where the landmasses, 9) Ground Truthing. oceans and atmosphere interact. They are characterized 10) Ground and Aerial (Photography and Videos) by strong gradients in environmental and ecological 11) Visual Interpretation. assets and provide valuable living and non-living 12) Zoning and Segmentation (urban coastal areas resources which are often exploited by humans on a non- and coastline). sustainable basis1. This zone has the highest biological 13) Carrying Capacity Model diversity and productivity compared to any part of the 14) Vector Analysis sea2. Kuwait is no different from this, but shows a 15) Modeling spectacular and diversified arid coastal environment. The 16) Fractal. study was conducted with the motive of investigating the 17) Analytical Hierarchical Procedure (AHP). trend in evolution of Kuwait coastal morphological 18) Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM). landscape (CML) and coastline from 1960s to 2012, to 19) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats understand coastal landscape degradation and (SWOT) Analysis. deterioration happening in Kuwait, to develop 20) Statistical Analysis. management strategies to protect the coastal environment 21) Software and Hardware. and suggest mitigation measures. The above data and input; and tools and techniques Objectives: The research was conducted with a motive were implemented for the following studies: of investigating the unstained coastal morphological 1) Collection of Background Information about landscape evolutionary changing trend from human coastal morphology. interference along the coastal area in the „State of Kuwait‟. The study targets to portray and explain the ©2013 Engineering and Technology Publishing 17 doi: 10.12720/joig.1.1.17-33 Journal of Image and Graphics, Volume 1, No.1, March, 2013 2) Literature review for gathering information on 9) Studies on coastal sensitivity, vulnerability and similar studies in the ‗State of Kuwait‘ if any and review coastal setback. coastal laws, standards, policies and regulations. 10) Impact assessment of anthropogenic activities on 3) Historic coastal morphological landscape CML. characterization & assessment. 11) Building coastal management strategies 4) Perception and interpretation of visual data 12) Mitigation measures and suggestions to protect 5) Demographic trend and analysis. coastal landscape. 6) Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes studies Fig. 1 illustrates the research investigative-link from Remote Sensors and Images. diagram to summarize the concept and goal of the study. 7) Coastline change studies from Remote Sensors However, in this paper all the critical findings are being and Images. linked scientifically and logically to put radiance on the 8) Carrying Capacity studies. risk of coastal landscape resources being deteriorated. Figure 1. Research and investigative-link diagram This paper furnishes the consolidated and II. A. Coastal Morphological Landscape (CML) comprehensive discussions on the results of four major Management stages of the entire research work: 1) Baseline studies on – coastal morphological The great concern to protect the marine environment landscape (CML) information collection, previous against pollution from various sources, prompted the research, historic data and coastal protective legislations. State of Kuwait to propose in 1973 to the United Nations 2) Investigation on coastal evolutionary changes Environment Programs (UNEP), and has initiated an inter-governmental meeting of the States of the Region in limited to – coastline change, land use land cover change order to develop necessary measures towards the matter. (LULCC), This has strengthened the development of organization 3) Impact evaluation by – identifying anthropogenic which was later known as ROPME (Regional activities and impact, carrying capacity, sensitivity / Organization for Protection of Marine Environment). vulnerability and setback distance With a view of strengthening governance in the region, 4) Conservation and protective measures i.e.– ROPME has developed protocols addressing the critical strategy building areas of environmental management. It is the dedicated organization involved in coastal and marine management III. SIGNIFICANT RESULTS AND DISCUSSION for entire ROPME Sea Area (referred to as the Kuwait This part lists the significant findings of the research Action Plan Region in the past) is the sea area surrounded and is discussed in the perspective of unearthing CML by the eight Member States of ROPME: Bahrain, Iran, evolutionary trend and initiating efficient strategies to Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United protect and conserve coastal landscape habitat and Arab Emirates. But, it has limitation under the set of rules heritage of Kuwait. in getting involved in the regional matters related to sea and coastal area. It was found that even Kuwait 18 Journal of Image and Graphics, Volume 1, No.1, March, 2013 Municipality has limited control over the coastal quality of un bottled water (Article 62-Appendix 16). All development. Apart from ROPME and Kuwait of which is related to the pollution aspects of the coastal Municipality‟s involvement, Kuwait Environmental water. The second part of the Chapter consists of Article Public Authority (KEPA) is the only environmental 63 to 70 for the „Protection of Coastal Environment‟ is agency in Kuwait established under Law No. 21 of 1995 related to coastal land degradation and protection. and Law No. 16 of 1996 that holds set of laws and All the Articles do not directly target or prohibit or standards to protect and conserve coastal and marine restrict the alteration of morpho-ecological and sensitive environment. landscape from industrial and non-industrial land use, All though it is well understood for the desert country urban sprawl, encroachment, mining, reclamation, like Kuwait the coastal and marine resources are the boon dredging and so on. The above legislations and standards to the socio-economic development, there are no are inadequate to manage, protect and monitor the coastal adequate integrated coastal management principles or any morphological landscape (CML) from being disturbed for dedicated organization or institution solely engaged with developmental purpose under pressure and influence. The coastal management4, 5. Judicious management of coastal process adopted by KEPA for any projects is requesting resource has been realized to be a dire necessity to ensure Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Chapter 1 of the protection of vulnerable and sensitive landscape. In KEPA, (2001))6 before any project is implemented for protecting there should be clear understanding of nature‟s any developmental activities as prerequisite for protective endowments, resources, and reserves. Resources may be and mitigation measure to reduce the negative impacts. defined as the means of supplying human wants and Article 3 of Chapter 1-KEPA, (2001)6 mentions which occur naturally are often called as natural that the studies of the environmental impact of the endowment. They are the gifts of the nature. Reserves are projects will deal with the direct or indirect