Land Reclamation in a Coastal Metropolis of Saudi Arabia: Environmental Sustainability Implications

Abstract

Coastal reclamation for residential, tourism, and commercial developments in the Arabian Peninsula and other global regions has dramatically increased in recent decades. This phenomenon is undoubtedly innovative and novel; however, it disrupts the natural balance of marine environments and degrades coastal and marine resources. Moreover, the long-term sustainability of such developments might be undermined by rising water levels, earthquakes, and the behavior of filling material and others. This paper analyzed the extent of land reclamation in the Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) along the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia within the last two decades and its environmental sustainability impacts. The study used satellite images to compare the coastal boundary of the study area from 2000 to 2020. The study analyzed five major reclamation projects and found that a total of 6081 hectares of land has been reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf, thereby altering the coastal profile of DMA significantly. The environmental sustainability implication of these projects includes the degradation and loss of ecosystem services and marine habitat, urban sprawl, and flood risk. Therefore, environmental regulations, such as the strict prohibition of coastal reclamation, and ecosystem-based urban planning, are needed for sustainable coastal land development.

Analisis Perbedaan Kebijakan Standar Perizinan Reklamasi Pada Wilayah Pelabuhan dan Selain Pelabuhan

“…Dampak negatif akibat kegagalan struktur diantaranya berupa penurunan tanah (land subsidence) dan pembuburan tanah (liquifaction) yang dapat diidentifikasi potensi terjadinya melalui uji kualitas tanah (soil test) pada saat perencanaan reklamasi (Sun et al, 2018;Sachpazis, 2011). Dampak negatif reklamasi terhadap lingkungan diantaranya menghilangkan jasa lingkungan, mengubah pertumbuhan kota menjadi acak akibat tarikan pusat ekonomi baru, meningkatkan risiko banjir, mempengaruhi kesetimbangan garis pantai sekitarnya, meningkatkan intrusi air laut hingga menimbulkan kemacetan lalu lintas (AlQahtany et al, 2022;Nadzira, Ibrahima, & Mansorb, 2014).…”

Remote sensing-based assessment of mangrove ecosystems in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a systematic review

“…Similarly, Oman lost 14.3% (24 ha) of natural mangroves from 1996 to 2020 (Bunting et al, 2022). This was mainly due to the growth of urban development activities related to coastal infrastructure and industrial expansion (Milani, 2018;Arshad et al, 2020;Aljenaid et al, 2022;AlQahtany et al, 2022), in addition to climate change impacts (Al-Naimi et al, 2016;Almahasheer, 2018;Blanco-Sacristań et al, 2022). However, some studies reported stable to slight increases in mangrove cover over the same period in the GCC countries (Almahasheer et al, 2016;Almahasheer, 2018;Milani, 2018).…”

Analysis of the Design and Implementation of a GIS System Incorporating Intelligent Recognition Models

“…High-resolution remote sensing data offers significant information, ease of acquisition, real-time capability, and high accuracy, making it widely applicable in various fields. The phenomenon of coastal erosion [2] , resulting from human-induced land reclamation [3,4] and other integrated factors, often occurs. Currently, extensive monitoring of such events through manual field surveys is time-consuming and labor-intensive.…”