The Gulf War Aftermath: An Environmental Tragedy

308 Pages·1993·9.77 MB·English

by  Muhammad Sadiq

THE GULF WAR AFTERMATH
ENVIRONMENT & ASSESSMENT
VOLUME 4
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
The Gulf War Aftermath
An Environmental Tragedy
edited by
Muhammad Sadiq
Research Institute
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
Dhahran
Saudi Arabia
and
John C. McCain
Research Institute
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
Dhahran
Saudi Arabia
and
Texas Christian University
Department of Geology
Ft. Worth, Texas 71629, USA
Springer Science+Business Media, B.V.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sadiq, Muhammad, 1949-
The Gulf Har aftermath an enviranmental tragedy / by Muhammad
Sadlq and Jahn C. McCain.
p. cm. -- (Envilanment & assessment ; v. 4)
Inc 1u des index.
ISBN 978-94-010-4737-1 ISBN 978-94-011-1685-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-1685-5
1. Oi 1 Spl 1 ls--Enviranmental aspects--Persian Gulf Regian. 2. Oi 1
wells--Fires and fire preventian--Envlranmental aspects--Persian
Gulf Regian. 3. Persian Gulf Har, 1991--Destructian and pi llage.
1. McCaln, Jahn C. (Jahn Charles), 1939- II. Tltle.
III. Serles.
TD196.P4S24 1993
363.73·82·0916535--dc20 93-15315
ISBN 978-94-010-4737-1
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1993
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
inc1uding photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
To the Innocent Victims of the Gulf War
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Foreword Xl
Preface xiii
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Impact of the war on the marine environment 5
Chapter 3. Environmental impact of Kuwait oil fires 59
Chapter 4. Air pollution from the Kuwait oil fires 109
Chapter 5. Air pollution from military operations 159
Chapter 6. Gulf war impact on land resources 183
Chapter 7. Human health and the Gulf crisis 233
Index 279
vii
Acknowledgements
The Meteorology and Environmental Protection Agency (MEP A) of Saudi
Arabia was the focal point within th Kingdom for activities related to the
environmental crisis caused by the 1991 Gulf War. MEPA provided the
substantial funding to the Research Institute of King Fahd University of
Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM/RI) to study the environmental impacts of
the Gulf Oil Spill and Kuwait Oil Fires. During the Gulf Crisis, the MEPA
Planning Committee under Dr. Nazar Tawfiq, appointed a Scientific
Committee to coordinate scientific and technical matters relating to the Gulf
War impacts. Dr. Abdullah E. Dabbagh, the Director of KFUPM/RI, was the
Chairman of the Scientific Committee and Dr. Mohamed B. Amin acted as Co
chairman. Their staff at the KFUPM/RI formed the basis of the Committee
with representatives from MEPA, the National Commission for Wildlife
Conservation and Development (NCWCD), Saudi Arabian Oil Company
(Saudi Aramco), and Saudi Arabian Bechtel Company (SABCO) providing
pertinent scientific and technical information to the Committee. Many of the
discussions held in the Committee broadened our knowledge related to the
environmental crisis at hand. We wish to thank the members of these
organizations for their contributions during the Gulf Crisis.
Seventy-three scientists, technicians, and managers at the KFUPM/RI
studiously worked day and night during the Gulf Crisis. In addition, a number
of KFUPM faculty members and graduate students worked on a part-time
basis. We are deeply indebted to these highly dedicated persons, for it is by their
diligent work that we had the necessary data available to produce much of this
book.
Advisors from around the world came to Saudi Arabia to become part of the
International Environmental Team (lET), including scientists from the
European Community Council (EC), the United States National Oceano
graphic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Fisheries
and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEP A), Dr. Ibrahim A. Alam of KFUPM/RI was
instrumental in cC'ordinating the activities of this team during the crisis. Many
of these advisors made significant contributions to our understanding of the
ix
x Acknowledgements
environmental crisis in the Arabian Gulf. We sincerely thank Dr. Alam and the
members of the team.
Much of the data used for the environmental damage assessment was
generated as a result of studies carried out and still being conducted for the
Environmental Engineering Division of Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco's past
and continuing contributions to the assessment of damage caused by the 1991
Gulf Oil Spill deserves special mention. The position of the KFUPM/RI as the
focal point for scientific research on the 1991 Gulf Oil Spill was largely due to
the continued long-term sustaining research support by Saudi Aramco. Saudi
Aramco, in fact, is a major contributor to the damage aSGessment and to this
book.
We garetfully acknowledge the contribution of the field staff of Earthtrust
(25 Kanohe Bay Drive, Kailua, Hawaii 96734, USA) who took the cover
photographs. Earthtrust sent the first emergency environ!llental assessment
team into Kuwait and assisted the Kuwait government in the effort to control
the burning oil wells and to protect the vital shoreline from inundation by the
oil spill. Earthtrust is a relatively small, extremely effective environmental
organization which depends upon contributions for funding. This organization
has paid heavily in funding and in the health of its staff for work on the
environmental crisis caused by the Gulf War. Their work during the Gulf War
and continued efforts to control whaling, to stop dolphin killing, to ban the use
of destructive driftnets, and to eliminate trade in endangered species are
sincerely appreciated.
We cannot hope to list all those who have contributed in some way to this
book; however, there are several people who were particularly helpful and we
wish to acknowledge their contributions. Dr. Yusef Fadlallah, Mr. David J.
Lennon, and Dr. Andy Y. Kwarteng of KFUPM/RI were of great assistance
during the preparation of this book, not only through their research but also by
providing editorial comments and reviews. Dr. Blair P. Bremberg (Texas
Institute for Applied Environmental Research, Tarleton State University,
USA) and Mr. Akhtar Ali Azhar (University of Dallas, USA) conducted
literature searches for the authors which proved invaluable. Mr. Abdulmuhsen
A. Al Sunaid (Saudi Aramco, Environmental Engineering, Saudi Arabia) was
generous in his support by providing air quality and meteorological data. Dr.
Khalil M. Al Thagafi (Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia) provided considerable
help by sharing his knowledge of health related literature.
In addition, we owe sincere thanks to many of our friends and colleagues
who directly or indirectly contributed towards the successful completion of this
work. We extend our gratitude to the management of the Research Institute in
particular, and to the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
(Dhahran, Saudi Arabia), in general, for their encouragement during this work.
Foreword
In 1962 Rachel Carson warned of the consequences of man's pollution in her
book Silent Spring, a book that some feel marks the real beginning of our
environmental awareness. Silent Spring told of the consequences of our
increasing pesticide use to birds. Almost 30 years after her warning, the
western Arabian Gulf experienced its "silent spring" when approximately
100,000 to 250,000 waterbirds died, along with millions of other organisms,
due to the massive oil spill that resulted due to Gulf war. The magnitude of
our environmental problems has continued to grow during the last thirty years
to a point where even the "doomsday" environmentalists could hardly have
envisioned back in 1962.
It seems the death of yet uncounted thousands of humans was not sufficient
for Saddam Husain. His desire for power and infamy led him to unleash
environmental war on mankind. At the end of the Gulf war he set ablaze the
oil fields of Kuwait and released more oil into the sea than had been spilled
at any time throughout history. These actions were despicable and an affront
to civilized man. A quality environment should be a right of all mankind, and
to wage war by deliberately polluting the earth cannot be tolerated.
In discussing the impacts of the Gulf war with the authors of this book, we
found that one of their major concerns was that environmental consequences
seemed almost trivial compared to the loss of so many lives in Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, and Iraq. A quality environment can have meaning only if it nurtures
human development. In the Gulf region, we have lost that nurturing
environment for the moment but we are struggling to regain it. We must strive
to maintain a quality environment. By documenting the environmental
disaster caused by the Gulf war, this book may help mankind rethink its
approach to environmental problems.
We lived through the agnony of the Gulf war. We saw our air and sea
polluted due to the greed and twisted logic of a cruel man. We worked hard
Xl
Foreword
XlI
to combat the pollution caused by a needless war. We hope that this book will
help to set the stage for definitive and resolute action to protect and enhance
our environment.
Dr. Abdallah E. Dabbagh, Director Dr. Mohamed B. Amin, Manager
Research Institute Water Resources and Environment Division
Kind Fahd University of Petroleum Research Institute
& Minerals Kind Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals