Government backs plan to tackle rising sea levels

TDT | Manama

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The government has backed a parliamentary proposal to prepare for rising sea levels, describing the issue as a global concern while pointing out that Bahrain is less at risk than island nations in open waters.

Other measures being considered by the government include extending shorelines, setting up rock barriers offshore, and weaving protective features into urban development plans.

There are also proposals to build waterfront walkways that would serve both as coastal defences and business opportunities for shops and marine-related activities.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, His Excellency Ghanim Al Buainain, said the government had examined the proposal and supported its goals, noting that shifts in sea levels were driven by ocean expansion from warming temperatures and the melting of ice sheets at the poles.

“The government recognises the importance of tackling this issue and has already been working with all the necessary agencies to reduce the effects of climate change and protect the country’s resources,” he said.

A study carried out in 2020 by the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), in partnership with a specialist consultancy, looked at how Bahrain’s coastal areas could be affected based on projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

It assessed risks beyond 2050 and pinpointed key sites — such as infrastructure and tourism hubs — that might need protection.

The government has since formed a team, led by the Supreme Council for the Environment, to put these plans into action.

Different scenarios were considered, bringing Bahrain’s approach in line with international planning methods, although the likelihood of extreme sea level changes was said to be low due to the country’s position in the Gulf.