-surrounded by 7 countries: the UAE, Qatar, Saudi, Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran
-majority of the populations in theses countries live within 100km of the coast and over 40% of the coastline has been subjected to urban, industrial and tourist development over the last 20 years
general information on Dubai
-has seen a vast amount of coastal development for example:
Palm Jebel Ali (13km2), The Palm Jumeirah (6km2), The World (still under construction), Diera Island (still under construction)
what is the Persian Gulf system like
-a relatively shallow sea
-experiences high velocity day-time on shore NW winds
-shamals are hot, dry and dusty winds that influence wave energy, erosion and transport
what have the impacts of the Palm and work islands been on Dubai
The Palm Jumeirah: most sand used came from 7 miles off the coast, impacting the off-shore sediment processes, the breakwaters were built using sand from borrow pits (dug to provide construction material) either side causing high levels of long lasting water turbidity (cloudy water from suspended sediment), causing the LSD supply to Umm Seqeim Bach to cut off so wave energy which increase erosion rates to 25m/year
The World Islands: caused direction of LSD to change from NE to SW which increased erosion rates a NE end of beaches
how are these impacts being combated
-large scale beach nourishment
-beach re-profiling
-construction of groynes
-in some areas like Mamzar beaches have been sheltered by the islands and erosion rates have decreased
