Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000
RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE CONSERVATION OF CORAL REEF RESOURCES
Summary of targeted national recommendations:
• Djibouti specifically needs improved legislation and enforcement, and a research
and monitoring programme that supports coastal area management plans.
• Egypt needs to implement an integrated coastal area management plan and a
review and upgrade of existing regulations to protect coral reefs that are coming
under strong development pressures.
• In Jordan, pollution is limited and localised, and the main threats are oil spills
and discharges, industrial discharges, municipal and ship-based sewage and
solid waste, and the tourism sector.
• In Saudi Arabia, there is a need to establish MPAs and curb harmful development in
urban areas. Threats originate primarily through residential and industrial
development and maritime transport, including oil spills, landfilling, pollutant
discharges, and effluents from desalination activities. The issues that remain
unresolved or poorly addressed include enforcement of existing emission
standards, industrial development, and integration of the public and private sectors.
• Improved conservation of coral reefs in Somalia will rely on increases in funding
and personnel. Conservation is currently given a lower priority than the rebuilding
of the nation and the eradication of poverty.
• Sudan has a weak legal framework for reef conservation and the absence of
surveillance is resulting in damage to many reef areas.
• Yemen needs to develop a network of protected areas to conserve reef
resources, as coastal development, the petroleum industry and maritime
shipping pose significant risks in the form of untreated sewage, land filling, and
hydrocarbon pollution.
Overview of recommendations applicable to all countries:
• Improvement of navigation conditions and waste handling facilities and
navigation systems, including markers and updated charts are needed. The
predominant threats to reefs in the region are from shipping, pollution from the
petrochemical industries, industrial development, and coastal development that
degrades of marine habitats through dredging and landfilling, and sewage
discharge. There is a need for a more thorough network of navigation markers
and a long-term maintenance programme for these. In addition, there is a need
to establish sewage, sludge and oily waste holding and treatment facilities at the
major regional ports (Suez, Port Sudan, Suakin, Djibouti, Aden, Jeddah, Jordan).
• There is a need to develop and implement coastal management programmes in
each country, including the establishment of a system of marine protected areas.
These are both needed in tandem to maximise ecologic and economic
development and conservation goals. Underpinning legislation that curbs these
environmentally degrading activities is also needed. Management plans should
address landfilling, dredging and sedimentation in particular, listing sound
environmental practices to control these activities.
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