Mangrove Belt Proposed Behind Bahrain Airport

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A mangrove belt behind Bahrain International Airport has been proposed to protect the coast, give fish and birds new breeding grounds and bring more greenery to the stretch between Qalali and Hidd.

Muharraq Municipal Council member Mohammed Al Moqahwi wants mangrove trees planted in the lagoon behind the airport, saying the site is well suited to a scheme that would aid the marine environment.

He said mangroves provide nursery grounds for fish and crustaceans and shelter for seabirds and other wildlife.

The trees also take in carbon dioxide, help filter some pollutants from the water and can slow coastal erosion caused by currents and wind, he said.

Al Moqahwi said planting the lagoon would also improve the look of the shoreline and give the area a more natural character.

The plan was submitted under Municipalities Law No. 35 of 2001 as part of moves to expand green schemes along Bahrain’s coast.

It follows an earlier mangrove plan put forward by Al Moqahwi in Hidd.

In 2023, Muharraq Municipal Council approved his request to turn a plot in Block 102 into a mangrove nature reserve modelled on Arad Bay Protected Area.

The earlier plan also raised the idea of linking the reserve in future with a waterfront scheme along Qalali coast overlooking the main Dry Dock Highway.