Pollution and Measures Towards De-pollution of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Known as the cradle of civilization, the Mediterranean Sea was of a great strategic importance to all neighbouring countries since ancient times. Its water pollution history started quite early with substances and energy introduced to the marine environment resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health and hindrance to marine activities including fishing, impairment of quality for use of seawater and reduction of amenities.

The pollution of marine regions from land-based sources is a serious threat to the protection of the marine environment, including marine protected areas. It is difficult to tackle because of the diverse pressures and impacts that cause the pollution. Indeed, around 80 % of the pollution of the marine environment comes from land-based sources, mainly municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes and run-off. One may think of the discharge of synthetic substances, no synthetic substances and nutrient or organic matter enrichment in river basins1 and in the marine environment. Land-based pollution reaches the marine environment either from rivers or from direct discharges into coastal waters. The pollution of rivers and consequently of the sea affects both human health and ecosystems. Since these effects can be irreversible, prevention is all the more important.

Millions of tons of pollutants are being discharged into the Mediterranean Sea every year from industrial activities in the countries bordering the Mediterranean region. So, making these data public will help to sensitize national governments about the problem so that action will be taken to reduce and eliminate pollution from land-based sources. It will also alert public opinion which could influence national authorities to live up to their obligations under international conventions and protocols. The major sources of pollution are metal industries, oil refineries and industry, tanneries, organic and inorganic chemical industry and food processing industry. Another major source of pollution is the hydrocarbon inputs from point sources which could be added to the sea-based oil pollution from tankers (Colasimone 2006).

Recognizing the increasing adverse effects of human activities on the Mediterranean Sea, 16 Mediterranean countries and the European Union decided, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in 1975, to set up the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP). The Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution, adopted 1 year later, aimed to support the collective efforts of Mediterranean States and the European Union against marine pollution (The Mediterranean Information Office for Environ-ment (MIO 2005)) . Based on the action plan, many measures followed targeting de-pollution of its waters.

This chapter highlights all possible pollution sources (according to the available information) degrading the Mediterranean Sea water and their relation towards threatening this shared Mediterranean Sea environment. Thereafter, certain specific soft and hard measures will be recommended for implementation for all Mediterranean countries towards the de-pollution of the sea.