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Experts stress on need to protect coastal areas
DUBAI — With the ongoing construction boom, the coasts all around the world, including the UAE, are presently at a major risk.
This was stated at the seventh International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering (PIANC-COPEDEC V11), which opened yesterday.
Organised by the Dubai Municipality, the five-day event, which also includes the Waterfront-2008 exhibition, is being attended by nearly 1000 experts from 50 countries.
The conference suggested that there is a need for proper and strict implementation of the existing regulations so that the coastal areas could be protected.
The Secretary-General of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Majid Al Mansouri, talked about the climate change-related issues that the world is facing.
He said that the per capita share of potable water in West Asia decreased from 1,700 cubic metres to 907 cubic metres from 1985 to 2005.
The changes in consumer habits and increase in hazardous waste have led to ecological imbalances, he added.
“Our coasts are repeatedly subjected to development risks, including increased pollution, salinity and overuse of fisheries wealth. Moreover, a number of people are now choosing to reside in waterfront areas. In addition, there is a growing amount of industrial projects, water treatment plants, and power production. Something needs to be done about it soon,” he added.
Earlier, after inaugurating the event, the Acting Director-General of Dubai Municipality, Hussain Nasser Lootah, underlined the significance and timeliness of the conference in the light of the expanding development of waterfront engineering projects in Dubai and across the region.
Lootah identified several vital highlights of the conference, including its focus on coastal and port infrastructure engineering, management and planning of ports and marinas, development of waterfronts and beaches, monitoring of beach movements, risk management for coastal areas and the importance of protecting the coastal environment.
About Dubai Municipality’s involvement in the event, he said, “We are presenting three papers showcasing best practices that deal with the main theme of the conference. These include a coastal process modelling-based Decision Support System for Live Management of the Dubai dynamic coastal zone, coastal modelling of the Dubai coastline with emphasis on morphological model validation and shoreline management of the Dubai coast.
Ranjit Galappatti, Chairman of the International Organising Committee, commented that much progress has been made in the fields of coastal and port engineering over the last 25 years.
“PIANC-COPEDEC was originally established to provide a forum where coastal and port engineering professionals from developing countries could interact with colleagues from more developed areas. The objective was to exchange knowledge in both directions. Nowadays, professionals from developing countries are more confident and assertive about charting their own course of development,” he said.
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