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Global response to ‘Arabiancoast 2005’
DUBAI — The First international Conference on Coastal Zone Management and Engineering in the Middle East “Arabiancoast 2005”, to be organised by Dubai Municipality from November 27 to 29, is receiving tremendous international response.
Khalid Al Zahed, Head of Coastal Management Section at the municipality and Vice-Chairman of the conference's Higher Organising Committee, said the committee has already received some 150 technical papers from the region and around the globe.
“This surpasses our expectations. In fact a large number of international experts and professionals have expressed their interest in this conference,” he said.
He noted that the international scientific committee of the conference, chaired by the Dubai Municipality Marine Expert Dr Gary Mocke, is currently reviewing these papers before finalising those qualified for the conference.
Dr Mocke observed that international interest in the conference was raised through his recent participation along with Al Zahed at the Coastal Zone 05 conference in the United States.
Al Zahed presented a well received paper on coastal monitoring and modelling initiatives of the Coastal Management Section of Dubai Municipality at this largest international gathering of Coastal Zone Management experts.
Besides, the organising committee meets every week to discuss preparations for the event, he said.
A dedicated web site, www.arabiancoast.com, has been launched to provide necessary information on the conference to a wider audience.
Al Zahed emphasised that although the municipality is the main sponsor and facilitator for the conference, the organising committee draws on representatives from governmental, consulting, NGOs and academic institutions in the UAE and other Gulf states. This includes representatives from Dubai Ports Authority, Erwda, Al Ain University and the Bahrain Ministry of Works and Housing.
Commenting on the relevance of the conference, Al Zahed said: “Worldwide, there has been a mass migration to the coastal zone, with now more than half of the world's population living within 60 km of a coastline.”
He said these densely populated world coastal regions are environmentally vulnerable, being subject to increasing pressures from sources such as industrial development, urban expansion and the exploitation of marine resources and tourism.
“This situation applies also to the Middle East, and most especially the Arabian Gulf, where the coastal zone has for centuries been the primary zone for trade, commerce and human settlement. In more recent years the construction of ports and harbours has been a key element for economic growth in the region. Recreational amenities such as beaches and corniche developments are also important elements for development of tourism in the region,” Al Zahed pointed out.
He said the opportunities for major real estate developments formed from land reclamation has been identified in recent years, with projects having a combined value exceeding Dh100 billion presently under development in the Gulf region. “It is universally recognised that there is an urgent need to integrate the many uses made of coastal resources and to develop them in harmony with the environment,” added Al Zahed.
The Coastal Management Section at the municipality has initiated the Arabiancoast conference series in order to bring together regional and international scientists, environmentalists, engineers and coastal managers to discuss the latest achievements and developments of relevance to ensuring best practice in development and preservation of the regional coastal zone.
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