Pollution From Arab States Harming Persian Gulf

Waste oil and other byproducts of oil extraction and refining in Kuwait and other Arab countries are threatening the ecosystem of Persian Gulf.

According to a report by the Kuwait-based Arabic daily Al-Qabas, the Persian Gulf littoral countries have inflicted significant financial and medical costs due to their failure to uphold environmental rules, IRNA reported.

Last week, over 50 tons of dead fish washed up on Kuwait's beaches, discouraging people from visiting the shores. Some are even avoiding buying fish.

Chairman of the parliamentary Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee Mohammad al-Dallal has called on the Kuwaiti government to instruct all relevant authorities to take urgent action.

Groups in charge of monitoring the beaches have reportedly warned that pollution "has reached a high level", Gdnonline.com reported.

According to a report issued by Kuwait's Ministry of Works, garages, factories, shops, car cleaning and greasing facilities are dumping their waste in rainwater drainage network, which end up in the Persian Gulf.

Making matters worse, desalination of Persian Gulf water by countries such as the UAE has led to a rise in the water body's salinity, putting further pressure on marine life, particularly corals.

Officials of Iran's Department of Environment said the sea is now 1.5 times more saline that it was 20 years ago.