The national day of the Persian Gulf was observed in Iran on Monday to highlight the significance of one of the world's key water body.
Given the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf for Iran and following attempts to alter its name, April 30, which roughly corresponds to the historic recapture of the Strait of Hormuz from the Portuguese garrison in 1622, was designated as National Persian Gulf Day, the Department of Environment's news portal reported.
Thanks to its special geographical location and abundant natural resources such as oil, gas, minerals and foodstuff, this valuable body of water offers huge economic benefit for its littoral states.
However, these very advantages have become its Achilles' heel, for they have led to constant environmental damage due to human activity.
Environmental Hazards
Population growth, urbanization, development of industries and unsystematic use of natural resources have caused great environmental pollution in the waters of the Persian Gulf, threatening marine life.
The heavy traffic of vessels that release dangerous chemicals into the water has resulted in above-standard levels of pollution. Urban and industrial wastewater adds to the problem. According to Ahmad Moradi, a lawmaker, some 700 liters of wastewater flows into the sea per second from the city of Bandar Abbas alone.
"With this amount of waste, the prospects are poor for the future of this key economic waterway," he said.
Oil and gas installations have also been plaguing the waters by increasing its acidity.
"Greenhouse gases emitted by oil and gas industries dissolve into water creating acidic conditions that are unfavorable for both corals and mangrove forests," Maryam Qaemi, head of the Persian Gulf Oceanography Center, said.
Other Risk Factors
Although spread across 250,000 square kilometers, the Persian Gulf's average depth is 35 meters, which means it holds a rather small volume of water.
Its shallowness combined with high temperatures of the region cause high salinity that reduces the sea's capability to naturally refine itself.
Although water circulates through the Hormuz Strait which links it to ocean water, it is only very slowly refreshed due to the tightness of the strait, leading to a longer entrapment of contaminants.
The release of ballast water is another danger for the region's marine ecosystem. Ballast water brings with it non-endemic and invasive species as well as oil pollution from outside the area.
Figures indicate that between 4 and 5 million tons of oil is discharged into the Persian Gulf through ballast water each year.
All these activities have not only threatened the lives of marine plant and animal species, but also the health of the region's residents.
Since the waters are shared between several countries, protection of the sea requires regional cooperation.
Currently, there are over 230 international treaties to ensure the safety of the Persian Gulf but none has produced any significant results due to lack of commitment by the signatories.
