With more than 200 petrochemical and energy installations, chemical industries and plants , and over 80 major rivers carrying heavy chlorine plants and over 80 major rivers carrying heavy loads of pollution from inland, the Mediterranean basin is now showing an advanced state of deterioration.
Hence it can be said that perhaps first among the environmental problems of the region is the inadequate treatment of municipal wastewaters.
Until today, a mere 55 percent of the coastal cities is served by treatment plants which means a load of more than three billion M3 of untreated water enters the Mediterranean sea every year .
In addition to the risks of micro-biological nature, untreated waste waters carry large amounts of nutrients of human origin ( phosphorus and nitrogen ) which cause - in conjunction with the nutrients deriving from uncontrolled agricultural practices- diffuse eutophication phenomena ( enhanced production of micro algae leading to a series of chain effects culminating in depletion of oxygen.)
Industrial pollutants impact the Mediterranean basin through air emissions , solid wastes and wastewaters .
Concerning industrial wastewaters , it was calculated that 66 million M 3 of untreated waters containing nutrients , phenols , mercury, lead , chromium, zinc and mineral oils , enter directly into the sea every year.
Rivers are also important conveyors of industrial pollutants ( 13 percent of the total load of industrial wastewaters is discharged into rivers ) which include persistent Organic Pollutants (POP s), such as Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)- used basically in cooling systematic , some neon lamps etc. and several pesticides , that are toxic organic substances , " time resistant" and thus very dangerous for humans.
The industrial development prospects of the region, which reflect the expected pressure on the environment foresee a certain decline during the 21st century of the heavy industries in the Northern shores ( which now account for 87% of the total of the region) that is balanced by an expected strong growth in the South Mediterranean countries .
Also cement production, again expected to decline in the North, will witness a 150 percent increase in the south .
A study to this effect said that without touching the issue of accidental spills of petroleum hydrocarbons due to accidents as sea- a danger permanently present in the Mediterranean that has the largest traffic density of tankers of the Globe; routine discharges can account for very large amounts of petroleum regularly discharged into the sea.
A partial surveys , the study added , covering only six countries of the Mediterranean revealed that 12.5 metric tones of oil processed per million were discharged every year from only 13 refineries .
Although partially connected to the problems described until now , agriculture merits a separate consideration , as it is believed to be the largest non- point contributor of pollutants to the Mediterranean .
The study added that in the catchments basin of the Mediterranean and along the coastal zones , particularly in the south, there is in fact a strong pressure to use increasing amounts of fertilizers along with the use of pesticides which find their way to the sea directly through run-off water and , indirectly through groundwater, wetlands and rivers in the form of sediments and chemical loads .
A globe picture therefore that makes it clear that urgent and pointed interventions are needed .
First of all , there was the need to quantify with precision where and how much pollution enters into the sea. This process, albeit indispensable , is being completed now by making use of the availability of Governments to provide data and information . As a result , in the framework of the implementation of the MAP Strategic Action Program (SAP) targeted at reducing pollution from land - based sources for which Governments are committed to operate concrete reduction of pollution emissions and releases, an amount of essential information is being collated .
Initially, a full list of pollution was prepared , integrated by data and information, which is regularly revised to ensure the possession of the real-time data . Similarly , a list describing the status of the sewage treatment plants of the region is available and kept continuously up to date to identify gaps establish potential progress.
In addition, every country is preparing what is called the " national baseline of pollution emission and releases", which is detailed inventory, as at the year 2003. of all pollution
© Syria Times 2004
