Hanan al-Asfour
With the dawn of every morning, Bahraini fisherman Mohammed Al-Muqsha’i sets out to sea, sailing miles in search of fish that have abandoned Bahrain’s waters.
Al-Muqsha’i recalls days when he did not have to sail far into the waters, as fish were abundant near Bahrain’s northern coast, which, following extensive land reclamation projects, no longer has sufficient fishing access points along its length.
More than 80 percent of Bahrain’s coasts have undergone changes since the 1960s due to projects primarily aimed at urban development in the kingdom. These changes have negatively affected the quality of seawater, marine environmental life, and the livelihoods of fishermen.
These environmental impacts have prompted some experts to examine environmental impact assessment reports for certain land reclamation projects, known as “marine landfills,” and they have identified various shortcomings.
Land Reclamation and Biodiversity
At the start of the third millennium, Al-Muqsha’i’s life was turned upside down as he witnessed Bahrain’s northern coast eroding due to land reclamation, gradually transforming into a concrete area upon which private properties were being built.
Al-Muqsha’i, who has been fishing since the 1990s, told us that fishermen from these areas reported the problem to the concerned authorities in 2004 and spoke with members of parliament about the fishermen’s issues following the reclamation, but to no avail. He adds, “The land reclamation operations continued until the entire northern coast disappeared, and the coast no longer has sufficient fishing access points.”
The problem was not limited to the disappearance of fishing access points. Due to changes in the marine environment caused by the reclamation, Bahrain’s coasts are now threatened by fish migration. In 2012, Jassim Al-Qassir, former Director General of the General Directorate of Marine Wealth at the Public Authority for Marine Wealth Protection, Environment, and Wildlife, stated that “the fish stock of hamour (grouper) has declined by about 90 percent in the territorial waters over the past two decades.”
Although fish production figures do not reveal a significant decline over the years—except for a sharp drop in 2011 to less than 10,000 tons followed by a sudden rise in 2012 to over 27,000 tons—the overall trend has been steadily increasing, from 11,700 tons in 2000 to around 20,000 tons in 2022. However, the real impact appeared in the decline of certain species, leading to an imbalance in fish stock.
A study issued by the Arabian Gulf University titled “The Status of Commercial Fisheries in the Kingdom of Bahrain” found that the northern region witnessed a decrease in the quantities of safi (rabbitfish), hamour (grouper), and sha’ari (a local fish species) between 2004 and 2009.
Al-Muqsha’i laments the types of fish that once inhabited Bahrain’s waters but have since disappeared from its coasts: “The fish have left our shores. For example, the mid fish, which children used to catch near the shore, is on the verge of extinction. Most of the fish sold now in the market are Yemeni, Omani, Egyptian, or Pakistani.”
Regarding other fish species, Al-Muqsha’i says, “The qiyoun, which used to be sold cheaply, is no longer available, nor is the sbeeti. Even the safi fish is mostly imported now. As for coastal fish, which have a distinctive smell that can be sensed from a distance offshore, they have vanished today.”
Al-Muqsha’i’s account aligns with that of fisherman Issa (a pseudonym), who fishes along the Karana coast. He explains, “When coasts are reclaimed, as happened on the coast of the artificial Nurana Island opposite Karana, some fish species become rare and their prices rise. Additionally, there are species that live exclusively in coastal areas.”
Issa adds: “Land reclamation affects the sea more than overfishing does because we lose entire coastal areas, which leads to a significant decline in fish quantities.”
All of this has led some to give up fishing as a profession. Al-Muqsha’i says, “Fishing is no longer a source of livelihood. The fisherman used to be able to support his family, but now we suffer greatly. However, this is our life, and we have no other source of income.”
Official statistics indicate a decline in the number of fishermen in Bahrain from 5,902 to 4,425 between 2018 and 2022.
Despite fishermen being directly affected by land reclamation, Al-Muqsha’i confirms that no one consulted them during the environmental impact assessment process that preceded the reclamation projects.
Environmental Impact Assessment
In its pursuit to “protect the environment and its natural resources from the effects of various developmental operations and ensure sustainable development,” the Ministry of Housing, Municipalities, and Environment issued Decision No. 1 in 1998 concerning the “Environmental Assessment of Projects.”
The decision requires new projects, especially those established on reclaimed coasts or new islands, to submit an environmental impact assessment report. This assessment became a prerequisite for obtaining a land reclamation license.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a globally recognized tool used to study the potential effects of projects that may harm the environment or populations. It is defined as a process aimed at identifying the negative and positive environmental impacts of development plans, whether tangible or intangible, direct or indirect, immediate or future, at local, regional, and global levels, with the goal of minimizing, mitigating, or avoiding environmental damage as much as possible.
Bahrain adopted the Environmental Impact Assessment for the first time in 1998, assigning the Supreme Council for Environment the responsibility of issuing environmental licenses for projects before other relevant authorities issue the necessary permits.
Dr. Hammoud Nasser, Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bahrain, evaluated 20 environmental assessment reports issued between 2004 and 2014 in a study titled “The Role of Environmental Impact Assessment in Protecting Coastal and Marine Environments in Rapidly Growing Islands: The Case of Bahrain, Arabian Gulf.” He found that 35 percent of the reports were satisfactory according to quality indicators, while 65 percent were unsatisfactory or barely met requirements.
Dr. Hammoud attributes the poor quality of the reports to several factors, including reliance on outdated sources that do not reflect recent environmental developments, with 60 percent of the sources not specialized in the Arabian Gulf environment. Additionally, the reports do not consider the cumulative impact of projects located near each other, and most fail to mention all environmental components in the reclamation area or their spatial distribution. Eleven of the reports did not provide a comprehensive and integrated map of the area.
Regarding stakeholder involvement in the environmental impact assessment reports, Hammoud notes that the reports reviewed mentioned consultation with official institutions and even some members of parliament in four housing projects, but there was no indication of broad public participation.
In this context, we asked Sarah (a pseudonym), an employee at a company responsible for environmental impact studies on several unnamed projects. She said they communicate directly with government bodies responsible for liaising with local communities during the study.
Regarding the effectiveness of Bahrain’s current environmental impact assessment process, Sarah said, “The current assessment process follows internationally recognized standards and covers all aspects of environmental impacts. It can be improved by making it more detailed, as some Gulf countries follow stricter procedures in this regard.”
Regarding the provision of possible alternative project sites, Sarah explained that the company studies alternative locations only if proposed and requested for analysis by the client (project owner). However, the reports reviewed by Hammoud did not include any alternatives for the projects. Furthermore, Hammoud pointed out that 85 percent of sand borrowing sites had no alternatives proposed.
To understand the monitoring mechanism for projects and the issuance of violations, we approached Ahmed (a pseudonym), an engineer who worked on several projects. He confirmed that “there is always ongoing monitoring and testing conducted by specialized authorities.”
He noted that the most prominent violations he observed included the leakage of water containing suspended solids exceeding permissible limits, as well as carrying out marine excavation outside licensed sites. Penalties imposed range from temporary suspension of the project or complete stoppage in some cases, in addition to obliging contractors to modify work plans to ensure compliance with environmental standards and prevent recurrence of violations.
In 2016, the government announced issuing 35 violations and halting six land reclamation projects due to non-compliance with measures to prevent the spread of turbidity caused by reclamation beyond project boundaries.
The Northern City
Hammoud’s study is confirmed by another study conducted by Dr. Walid Al-Saad, Dr. Sabah Al-Junaid, and Dr. Walid Zubari on the environmental impact report prepared by a French consulting firm for the “Northern City” project. This city consists of ten islands located on the northwest coast of the Kingdom of Bahrain and was inaugurated in 2018, covering an area of about 7.4 square kilometers.
The researchers concluded that the “investigation” in the French report did not meet the basic requirements for environmental impact assessment. It lacked marine environmental monitoring data for the northern region and the food chains inhabiting it. The report did not address seasonal changes in the marine environment nor include a timeline for the expected recovery of the affected marine environment.
The study found negative impacts of the project on water quality, groundwater, marine environmental components, and fish wealth. It noted that the project’s impact on coastal marine organisms, in particular, is severe and cannot be addressed.
The study also pointed out that the mitigation measures proposed by the French consulting firm lacked actual studies.
A group of studies confirms the impacts of land reclamation on the marine environment. A study by the Department of Life Sciences at the College of Science, University of Bahrain, which included ten marine reclamation projects, found that approximately 153 square kilometers of marine environments were damaged, including smooth rocks, algae, seagrass, sand, coral reefs, and others.
Another study, published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering, confirmed that coral reefs have been extensively damaged due to several factors, most notably coastal erosion. Less than six percent of those coral reefs remain.
A report issued by the Public Authority for Marine Wealth Protection, Environment, and Wildlife reveals changes in marine currents and an increase in water salinity on the western coast to more than 60 parts per thousand, compared to the natural salinity level of the Arabian Gulf waters, which ranges between 37 and 38 parts per thousand.
A study conducted by the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bahrain estimates that the losses resulting from land reclamation operations amount to approximately $8,023 annually for every 10,000 square meters reclaimed. These losses are due to damage to ecological recycling and food production, as well as the loss of environmental functions performed by the coast, such as pollutant filtration, protection of shores from storms and erosion, and other vital roles.
Despite the financial losses revealed by previous studies, the deterioration of the marine environment, and the worsening livelihoods of fishermen, land reclamation plans in Bahrain have not ceased.
More Reclamation
In November 2021, the “Ministerial Committee for Developmental and Infrastructure Projects in Bahrain” announced the launch of a package of strategic projects worth over $30 billion as part of the economic recovery plan following the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these projects are five new marine cities located in Fasht Al Azm, Fasht Al Jarim, Suhaila Island, Bahrain Bay, and Hawar Islands. The plans for these five islands vary between industrial, tourism, residential, and mixed-use projects.
As soon as these projects were announced, voices opposing land reclamation rose, alongside parliamentary attempts to protect these areas.
The Council of Representatives submitted a draft law to classify Fasht Al Jarim and Fasht Al Azm as natural protected areas. However, the government called for reconsideration of the bill, and the Shura Council had previously rejected a similar bill in 2012.
During the discussion of the proposal, MP Hassan Ibrahim Hassan emphasized the importance of marine environmental protection more than ever. He pointed out the necessity of designating Fasht Al Jarim, Fasht Al Azm, and their associated habitats as protected natural areas, as they contain seagrass beds that serve as important habitats for marine animals.
Hassan warned against reclaiming these marine areas, adding: “These activities result in the spread of sediments, loss of important marine habitats, and a decline in the chances of fish stock recovery and fishing activity, which has long been negatively affected by land reclamation operations.”
In May 2022, the “Bahrain Portal” account exclusively published news about the start of land reclamation in part of Fasht Al Azm, which sparked controversy. Dr. Ismail Al-Madani, former Director General of Environment and Wildlife Protection, called on the relevant authorities via his social media account X (formerly Twitter) to publish the environmental impact assessment of the project.
He stated, “Since this concerns every citizen due to its relation to food security, I demand that the Environment Authority publish the approval documents for reclaiming the fishery’s lung, Fasht Al Azm, as well as the environmental impact assessment of the project, which is a prerequisite to starting any project.”
— Dr. Ismail Al-Madani, former Director General of Environment and Wildlife Protection, via X
About a year after the controversy began, local news sites reported that Bahrain’s Urban Planning and Development Authority had appointed international consulting firms specializing in environmental studies to prepare preliminary environmental studies for these sites. Another report dated May 2, 2024, stated that initial surveys of the five new cities, which will be used to “assess potential environmental impacts in these areas,” began a year ago but have not yet been completed.
When asked about the potential impact of the new cities, Bahraini fisherman Mohammed Al-Muqsha’i responded, “If these areas are reclaimed, marine life will be harmed; the water will stagnate, sediment will increase, and the fish will disappear. These two Fashts are the only ones left in Bahrain. Even the seasonal fish that pass through our seas to lay their eggs and move on will no longer return to us.”
This investigation was conducted with the support of ARIJ.
