Life Below Water

“Water is one of the most important pillars of economic and social development, as it is essential for meeting human needs, managing the environment and ensuring the sustainability of economic development.” (Environmental Protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (my.gov.sa))

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. Despite having extensive coastlines, it lacks permanent waterbodies. It is one of the world’s driest countries, yet it has an enormously high per capita fresh-water consumption. The increased demand for water, economic developments and pollution constitutes the country’s most significant environmental challenges.

Therefore, one important step would be to bring behavior change in the society to use water economically and wisely. Saudi Arabia also believes in the importance of marine life and has adopted strategies and policies to limit any interference in the marine system. (Environmental Protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (my.gov.sa))

In this sense, KFUPM is committed to preserving aquatic ecosystems throughout the campus and the country by actions, education, and research.

Supporting Aquatic Ecosystems Through Education

The university is aware of the importance of education when it comes to SDGs. Therefore, various educational programs are continuously offered to the public regarding water ecosystems, sustainable fishing, and the damages of overfishing. One example is the Fisheries Awareness Program at Al Qatif, held in December 2022 by the Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies (ARC-EMS). The fisheries study group held this one-day awareness program for fishermen at Al Qateef. The primary goal was to raise awareness among the fishing community about the importance of protecting the marine environment, including critical fish habitats, in order to ensure a sustainable commercial fishery. Another significant point was also to convey the implications of illegal fishing, the disposal of plastics and used oil cans, unsanitary fishing practices, unregulated fishing of juveniles and bycatch on the sustainability of the marine environment, as well as the long-term impact on their livelihoods.

Anthropogenic impacts such as overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing were also discussed earlier in the year at a seminar titled ‘Fisheries Impact Assessment: The Concepts and Approaches in EIA studies’ These fisheries impact assessment studies predict the potential direct and indirect impact of all developmental projects on fish and fishermen’s livelihoods.

The crucial point is that those seminars and workshops are not one-off programs. Above examples represent a continuation of projects run in 2021, like a workshop that was conducted together with representatives of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture to discuss the “Development of Saudi Fisheries and the protection of the essential fish habitats in the Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf” or a workshop aimed at sustaining the fish sector and increasing fish stocks.

These workshops were offered to academics and the general public and then attended by many interested parties, including the leadership of the border guards in the eastern region and representatives of the Fishermen's Association, to learn how the fishery resources team views the protection of some types of fishes and shrimps, as well as their habitats.

Supporting Aquatic Ecosystems Through Action

KFUPM’s Center for Environment and Marine Studies (CEMS) organized events aimed to promote conservation and sustainable utilization of the seas and marine resources. The “Coral Ecosystem in The Western Arabian Gulf is at Risk” or the webinar to introduce a project about “Characterization of Microplastic Pollution in the Saudi Waters of the Arabian Gulf” are just two examples.

The center also worked directly on research projects with industry and initiatives are targeted at protecting the fragile coastal and marine ecosystems and their biodiversity. For example, The Manifa Bay protection project or Avoiding Biodiversity Hotspots from developmental activity.

In addition, the center is working with different partners to develop technologies that enable the marine industry to minimize or prevent damage to aquatic ecosystems. Just to name one example here would be the implementation of novel technologies for studying coastal circulation patterns: High-frequency radar (HFR) is a unique technology mapping ocean surface currents and wave fields (along with other variables) over wide areas with high spatial and temporal resolution. It has immense applications such as in the search and rescue system for coastguard, to help forecast and hindcast oil spills or other floating materials and for tidal predictions.

Maintaining a Local Ecosystem

CEMS has Initiatives which are targeted at protecting the fragile coastal and marine ecosystems in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. For example, modeling to estimate the impact of the construction activities (Manifa Bay protection) or Avoiding Biodiversity Hotspots from developmental activity. Furthermore, by using modern technology, CEMS monitor the health and changes in marine habitat, which will help policymakers, engineers, scientists, and other interested groups to utilize marine resources or to make informed decisions that would help to protect and conserve the fragile and sensitive marine habitats.

Water-Sensitive Waste Disposal

On a regular basis, the EHS department carries out a number of environmental assessments inside KFUPM, including water quality assessments, to ensure that any activities undertaken on campus comply with the national and international environmental quality standards.

To prevent water pollution, especially from plastic waste, KFUPM started a recycling initiative at the campus which is expected to maintain a cost-effective and efficient waste management program that focuses on reducing, reusing, and recycling general waste, including plastic.

Maintaining a Local Ecosystem

CEMS’s initiatives are targeted at protecting the fragile coastal and marine ecosystems in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. For example, modeling to estimate the impact of the construction activities (Manifa Bay protection) or Avoiding Biodiversity Hotspots from developmental activity. Furthermore, by using modern technology, CEMS monitor the health and changes in marine habitat, which will help policymakers, engineers, scientists, and other interested groups to utilize marine resources or to make informed decisions that would help to protect and conserve the fragile and sensitive marine habitats.

Another fascinating project worth mentioning is the Mangrove Eco Park. In order to raise awareness of this unique ecosystem and the essential role it plays, the ARCEMS, with funding from Saudi Aramco involved in the development of the first mangrove eco-park in the Kingdom, protecting 64 km2 of marine habitats, including mangrove forests, salt marshes and seagrasses – all important nurseries for fish and shrimp. This eco-park will help foster knowledge and appreciation of this fragile ecosystem and consists of a visitor center, trails, and boardwalks, with various observation and education points. A portion of the park is also designated for research activities.

Supporting Documents