Related cases: Negative Impact on Artificial Islands

In its 2003 ruling on the Malaysia vs Singapore Pedra Branca dispute [2008] ICJ
dispute over the latter�s reclamation activities, the International Tribunal on the
Law of the Sea (ITLOS) directed �Singapore not to conduct its land reclamation in
ways that might cause irreparable prejudice to the rights of Malaysia or serious
harm to the marine environment, taking especially into account the reports of the
group of independent experts.� Singapore complied with the tribunal�s ruling.
Ecological Effects of Island Construction Persian Gulf
Large-scale constru ction of artificial islands has brought about many changes in
the ecosystems of the Persian Gulf. Three major changes are shoreline erosion,
change in water currents causing pollution within the Palm islands, and an impact
on marine life.
In order to understand the ecological changes that are occurring, background
knowledge of the ecosystem in the Persian Gulf is necessary. One of its defining
features is shallowness. In some places, water is only 35-81 meters deep, with
shallow slopes leading into the basin. In addition, there are Shamals, or high
velocity winds, which generate tall waves and create currents. The high
temperatures in the area also causes high evaporation rates which, coupled with
desalination plants that pump extra salt and minerals into the water, increase the
overall salinity of the Gulf. Marine life in the area has had to adapt to these
harsh condition changes in addition to anthropogenic (human) influences like water
travel and fishing (Salahuddin 2006).

Shoreline erosion is another major problem, especially from the Palm Jumeirah
Island. The island disrupts sediment transport as a result of waves transforming as
they bend around the island. This �starves� the beaches of sediment, and causes a
great deal of erosion (Salahuddin 2006, Smith et al. 2005). In addition, the
presence of the Palm Jumeirah increases wave height as well as changing wave
direction. These changes cause a reversal in the direction of sediment motion.
Previously, sediment moved from south-westward to north-eastward, but that has now
changed by thirty to fifty degrees, depending on location and distance from the
island. All of these factors contribute to erosion, which is expected to reach
between 33 and 100 meters in twenty years, respective to the area of the beach
(Smith et al 2005). This ongoing erosion problem could be solved by installing �dog
leg� shaped groynes, which are structures built from an ocean shore to limit
sediment movement and water flow.

Changing water currents also play a major role in pollution. As Cavalcante et al.
note in their article, the Palm Jumeirah Island obstructs tidal flow along the
coast, causing currents to flow into the lagoon of the island via narrow entrances.
In turn, this causes pollution. The geometric design of the area dictates that
wind-generated and tidal-driven currents greatly affect the way water is cycled
throughout the island. When water is not flushed out and has a high residency time,
it forms �dead ends,� or areas of stagnant water. The stagnant water becomes rich
in nutrients and contributes to eutrophication, or the increase of phytoplankton in
response to higher concentrations. The increase of phytoplankton causes depletion
of oxygen and low water transparency, lowering the overall quality (Cavalcante et
al 2011).
One of the largest effects of construction of the Palm Jumeirah Island was the
elimination of many coral. An estimated 10-15% of the area is covered by coral, and
has been affected by construction of the island. Of the 25 square kilometers that
make up the total area, approximately 8.33 square kilometers became the Palm
Jumeirah Island, burying .83-1.25 square kilometers, or 1 million square meters, of
coral. Debris from dredging and other construction aspects are thought to have
killed an additional 1.6 to 2.5 million square meters of coral. The pumping of hot
industrial effluents into the Gulf increases the temperature and causes more
ecological problems for local coral, such as bleaching. Construction also caused
many fish species to migrate out of the area, or die (Salahuddin 2006). Turtle
nesting sites were also destroyed in the construction of the Palm Jumeirah (Global
Agenda 2008).