Establishment of functional artificial marine habitats in design of coastal mega developments; a case study of the Sabah Al-Ahmad Sea City, Kuwait, Northwestern Arabian Gulf

Abstract

The Arabian Gulf (hereafter referred to as “Gulf”) is a hypersaline (> 39 PSU), shallow (avg. 35m), marginal sea with very wide range of temperature (13-35°C) and high evaporation rates. The countries bordering the Gulf have undergone drastic economic transformation due to its oil wealth. This young, marginal sea is subjected to multiple stressors (natural and anthropogenic) such as temperature, salinity, sewage discharge, desalination, oil spill and pollution. The rapid rise of human populations in the Arabian Gulf countries has led to an increase in settlement along the coastal belt with large-scale urbanization, such as construction of water front property developments, ports, jetties, marinas. In the past few decades, in order to attract and boost local real estate markets, several large mega coastal development projects have been executed (e.g. Palm Island, Dubai, Durrat Al-Bahrain, Bahrain, West Bay Lagoon,
Qatar) and several are still under construction. Many of these mega projects have attempted to incorporate mitigation of coastal environmental impacts into their design, but have not fully demonstrated the functionality of the artificial marine habitats created, in terms of biodiversity and ecological succession.
This Ph.D. thesis is a case study of Kuwait’s iconic mega coastal township project “The Sabah Al-Ahmad Sea City (SAASC)” located on the southern coast at Al-Khiran. This ambitious 25 year-long mega township development was carried out in two phases covering an area of >70 km2. It has been built landward from the shoreline, in sabkha areas, by expanding two hypersaline tidal creeks (Khor Al-Mufateh and Khor Al-A’ Ama). The published papers contributing to this PhD are the result of decade-long comprehensive environmental monitoring of habitat restoration and enhancement efforts (mangrove establishment and coral transplantation) in SAASC.
In synthesis, a critical analysis of these published works establishes a baseline for monitoring benthic colonization, marine biodiversity, fisheries and habitat restoration of artificial marine habitats for future coastal development projects in the Gulf. Further it indicates the importance of adopting ecological engineering principles in the design phase for any coastal development project, to promote establishment of thriving artificial marine habitats, increasing habitat complexity, marine biodiversity and contributing to local fisheries by providing nursery habitats. As such, it also serves as a regional and global model for sustainable coastal development.
Gaps in understanding are also identified, with respect to approaches to establishing a baseline for water quality, and the need for economic appraisal of the ecological benefits and ecosystem services potential of constructed artificial marine habitats in the Gulf. Overall, the published works help to demonstrate that coastal development projects in the Gulf can successfully integrate ecological engineering principles, through applying stringent management protocols involving stakeholders for achieving sustainability, with success evaluated through a strategic environmental monitoring plan.

Date of Award	23 Sept 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University
Supervisor	Lewis Le Vay (Supervisor)