Introduction
Building new public beaches on Dubai’s territory and the impact of this phenomenon on the marine environment are two of the critical and significant issues today. This paper primarily aims to identify and establish potential risks, propose control measures, and outline the outcomes resulting from the construction of the Palm Beaches. A comprehensive assessment of the environmental dangers of constructing the Palm Beaches in Dubai for the marine environment is a fundamental aspect on which this document is based.
Risk Assessment
In general, the likely risks to the marine environment prior to the start of construction are primarily associated with resource depletion, adverse effects on living organisms, industrial waste, and unforeseen events that are beyond human control. In other words, these are typically external threats originating from natural sources and products of human civilization (Kaup et al., 2022). According to Mansourmoghaddam et al. (2022), special attention should be paid to potential hazards, including a rise in water temperature or acidity, increased storms and droughts, loss of soil fertility, and a lack of freshwater for drinking. Additionally, the construction of new beaches is influenced by weather and climatic risks that affect the sea, leading to hazards to the water level and marine life (Kaup et al., 2022). Consequently, one should assume that the planning and design stage of the new Palm Beaches in Dubai may pose significant challenges to the marine environment and marine biodiversity.
However, cases of pollution in areas around the sea before the start of construction are not excluded. It is necessary to choose materials of a less polluting origin in advance (Martinez et al., 2022). Therefore, avoiding the risks mentioned above is possible if one follows a clear plan that minimizes unpleasant outcomes for the marine environment. In this case, the choice of material is a top priority. Nonetheless, unforeseen disadvantages are emerging as the drawbacks of artificial lands, and such global projects cannot be implemented until a comprehensive study of their environmental impact has been conducted.
Potential Impact
The potential consequences of creating the Palm Beaches in Dubai for the aquatic ecosystem included a shortage of water resources, the spread of soil erosion, and the longshore transfer of heterogeneous sediments, including pebbles and sand. According to experts, the Palm Beaches in Dubai have been able to significantly alter the quality and temperature of the water, as well as its reflectivity, GNDVI values, suspended sediments, and chlorophyll levels, among other factors (Mansourmoghaddam et al., 2022). Notably, most of these “forecasts” have come to pass; these consequences can be observed today on the territories of some beaches in the country. For instance, the construction of the Beaches in Dubai destroyed turtle nesting sites and the coral reef in the region (Debre, 2022). Thus, existing artificial islands have already caused environmental damage.
In particular, attention should be paid to such potential consequences as the “promotion” of climate change and extreme weather events. The fact is that the sand extracted from the seabed gradually returned to “its place,” which led to the clogging of the channels between the Beaches (Burbano, 2022). Nevertheless, the creation of the Beaches could have destroyed several species of local flora and fauna, as the bottom of the bay, its relief, and water temperature vary (United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, 2022).
Due to changes in the flow, increased water heating, and a significant change in the bottom relief, entire ecosystems could disappear. Additionally, the nature of the Persian Gulf currents has changed. In brief, the sea waters could turn green and form swamps, which was facilitated by the fact that there was no current along the islands; the ecology of this area was in danger.
Controls and Mitigation
A few essential and significant actions have been taken to mitigate and eliminate risks and adverse consequences. Engineers have found a solution that “saved the marine environment” – they became blades made in breakwaters (GHD, 2018). Furthermore, engineers deepened the channels for rapid water circulation (Mayer, n.d.). For example, it is known that to prevent new land areas from being washed away during storms, it was necessary to build rock breakwaters around the archipelagos (Batho, 2021). However, the breakwaters considerably worsened the natural circulation of water, and the designers artificially improved it so that the bays created by the builders did not begin to bloom; this was only partially successful. Tourists visiting the only completed Palm Jumeirah still periodically complain of an unpleasant smell from the water.
It should be recognized that Palm Beaches in Dubai was initially conceived as a project to bring economic benefits. In fact, the construction of these islands has killed many wild animals, increased water turbidity, and altered the sediment transfer along the coast. Generally, Dubai takes measures to rescue, rehabilitate, and preserve local marine wildlife (Euronews, 2021). However, as practice shows, private organizations, volunteers, and community groups are primarily responsible for carrying out this activity.
The Level of Residual Risk Post Construction
Analysis of the above aspects allows the author of this paper to conclude that the residual risk level after construction was reasonably high. After the building, the biological and ecological situation was disrupted, and the world’s ocean area was artificially decreased. The air quality after construction has noticeably deteriorated, but its indicator remains acceptable for most citizens (Air quality near Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, n.d.).
Regardless of the methodology, the construction of a small island disrupted an ecosystem tens of times larger than its area. Indeed, negative consequences can be mitigated using modern approaches—such as reducing emissions of pollutants from construction equipment into the atmosphere and minimizing pollution of the hydrosphere with petroleum products. However, several biologically dangerous processes also accompany the construction of artificial islands. Disturbance of the circulation of coastal sea currents, agitation of the water area by suspended particles, and stagnant water pollution led to disturbances in photosynthesis, which worsened the growth of phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that include plants, algae, and bacteria.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issues surrounding the construction of Palm Beaches in Dubai remain relevant from an environmental perspective. Both before and after the construction of the Palm Beaches, various threats and risks to the oceanic environment are represented. Before the beginning of construction, several potential negative consequences were identified, some of which were subsequently confirmed. Several measures were taken, but some were insufficient to fully solve all the urgent problems. Accordingly, the air quality deteriorated after the construction, and the local flora and fauna were almost destroyed.
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