Category: Qatar’s Mangrove Forests: Why They Matter for Environmental Conservation

The climate crisis continues to become more serious and obvious by the day, and many people around the world remain resistant to critical and all-inclusive action on climate change. We are on the brink of an environmental apocalypse: global temperatures are increasing, polar ice is melting, and water levels have been rising all over the world. More important is the issue of habitat diversity and conservation, as continued loss could spell doom for many plant and animal species. Many regions of the world have many naturally occurring habitats, with some boasting of tropical, coastal, terrestrial, and savannah habitats. Some countries also have desert and arctic habitats, where only a few plant and animal species can thrive. Logically, it is critical to prioritize environmental conservation in such areas, as they do not have the type of environmental and habitat diversity which characterizes friendlier environments. Qatar is one such country, as it is predominantly a desert environment.

Sustainability is a wide-ranging concept, as it may encompass environment, food, and other associated issues, the intersection of creating new and more challenging phenomena. Responsible shrimp farming is beneficial to a country such as Qatar, where sources or avenues of agriculture are limited and when present, require significant investments. Shrimp farms, when properly executed, are profitable and sustainable endeavors, and in the context of Qatar, can help the country achieve its target of self-sufficiency in terms of food production to sustain its burgeoning population.

Many of the course materials highlighted the way the Anthropocene has limitless potential, as evidenced in recent moves to slow biodiversity loss and carbon emissions. Accordingly, the Anthropocene “has the capacity to become the most politicized unit, by far, of the Geological Time Scales and therefore to take formal geological classification into unchartered waters” (“The ‘Anthropocene’? Nature and Complexity” 19). As Qatar looks to engage in intensive shrimp farming, there are a lot of issues involved, particularly politically. It causes widespread degradation of mangrove ecosystems, which is deleterious to the Qatar environment where not many plants can thrive.

Although it promises many advantages for the country, shrimp farming is associated with the loss of important socio-economic and ecological functions of mangrove ecosystems, including salinization, hydrology, pollution, mitigating natural phenomena, medicines and chemicals, and the introduction of non-native diseases and species. Shrimp farming is promising and when conducted appropriately, promises significant benefits for the country. However, the underlying trade-offs between socio-economic and environmental sustainability has not been sufficiently addressed. This viewpoint underscored the concept of ecocriticism, which is “provisionally…a state of human freedom and flourishing where non-human lies are fully acknowledged, no longer violently exploited nor its resources abused or exhausted” (“The ‘Anthropocene’? Nature and Complexity” 37). In this regard, ecocriticism is necessary to mitigate the deleterious effects of climatic changes. I can envision a scenario where the world is uninhabitable in the name of “sustainable” pursuits which exacerbate the already serious issue of environmental degradation.

Works Cited

“The ‘Anthropocene’? Nature and Complexity.” pp.17-37. 

Healthy mangrove ecosystems are important for the food security, well-being, and protection of coastal communities all over the world. In this case, mangrove ecosystems are important in the Arab Gulf ecosystem, for both humans and animals. Mangroves have been present in the gulf for the longest time, providing important  protections to associated ecosystems. The Al Thakira region, where mangroves are present, is a typical coastal system, only that it grows in one of the hardiest terrains known to man; not many plants and animal species can thrive here, and the significance of mangroves to the area cannot possibly be understated.

Qatar is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, and as the richest country in the world in terms of GDP, the high-income economy has enabled the small country to make significant developmental strides over the last few decades. Carugati et al. note that mangrove ecosystems are regions of his production, with rates which can be equaled to those of tropical humid evergreen forests (1). They provide breeding grounds, food, and nursery sites for a variety of marine and terrestrial organisms, including juvenile reef fish and many commercial species. In “Petro-Melancholia,” LeMenager explores the politics of representation, particular with regard to environmental disasters. She explores the BP Deepwater Horizon spill, noting that “it follows an unusual episode of de-reification, a failure of the commodity form’s abstraction” (LeMenager 26). She argues that the spill, a major ecological disaster, did not work as a “spectacle” as expected. Rather, it ascribes to Guy Debord’s sense of mystification of modern means of production through imagery.

LeMenager is suggesting that powerful people,  mainly governments and corporations such as BP, tend to “sell” false hopes and impressions to the public using glorified media portrayals and content. By doing so, they avoid the public glare and backlash for the ecological disasters they may have been causing. For example, in the case of BP, LeMenager observes that the images and video of the spill available online only show oil shooting out of the damaged oil wells (26). She argues that BP manipulated these portrayals, terming them a “humiliation of modernity as it was understood in the twentieth century” (LeMenager 26). The same thing is happening to Qatar, with the government controlling the media narrative about the Shrimp farm which it commissioned in the Al Thakira region.   

The harmful effects of Shrimp farming on mangrove ecosystems have been well documented. However, such narratives are barely highlighted or explored by the media. The narrative focuses on the issue of food security and Qatar’s achievement of its sustainability goals over the next few decades. In this case, popular narratives ignore and overlook the obvious environmental effects of shrimp farming, including habitat loss and the degradation of mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves are important in the region, particularly because it is one the few vegetations and habitats that can withstand the harsh climate and weather conditions. While shrimp farming is good, environmental conservation is more important.

Works Cited

Carugati, Laura, et al. “Impact of Mangrove Forests Degradation on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning.” Scientific Reports, vol.8, no.1, 2018, pp. 1-11.

LeMenager, Stephanie. “Petro-Melancholia: The BP Blowout and the Arts of Grief.” Qui Parle: Critical Humanities and Social Sciences vol. 19, no.2, 2011, pp. 25-55.

More than 35% of the world’s mangrove forests have been destroyed over the last few decades. Mangroves are some of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world and provide a unique habitat opportunity for many species and key services and goods for humanity. However, the continued regression of mangrove habitats can be attributed to anthropogenic causes, along with global warming. The most significant of these impacts is shrimp farming, one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. Qatar, in a bid to achieve its objectives of self-sustenance and food production, announced plans to construct a shrimp farm, which would ultimately become one of the largest of its kind in the world. However, shrimp farming has been associated with many negative consequences in mangrove ecosystems, and shrimp farming in would potentially pose a threat to the country’s mangrove ecosystems, which are already considerably endangered. In this regard, Qatar is bound to follow the same route if it does not take the necessary precautions.

​In “Golden Spiles and Dubious Origins,” Kathryn Yusoff argues that,

This attempt to absolve the positionality of Western colonial knowledge and extraction practices, while simultaneously reinforcing and resettling them in a new territory—a Western frontier of pioneers armed with eco-optimism and geoengineering—indicates a desire to overcome coloniality without a corresponding relinquishing of the power it continues to generate in terms of who gets to formulate, implement, and speak to/of the future (3).

Many opponents of global environmental initiatives have argued that legislation and policies such as the Paris Agreement and the Green new deal are not necessarily an end-goal for the problems inherent of Anthropocene. Rather, many have suggested that degrowth and decapitalization could potentially solve many of these issues. Shrimp farming has many advantages in terms of land use, utilization, and improvements, particularly in terms of export earnings and relatively sustainable protein production. Qatar’s shrimp farm, which is projected to produce 300 metric tons of shrimp annually, will be situated in the Al Khor region, which also houses the Al Thakira Mangroves, one of the largest and oldest mangrove ecosystems in the world.

​Coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, are exceedingly important in the Gulf region, where only a few plants can withstand the hard desert conditions. Firstly, they are uniquely adapted to withstand saline seas, high winds, and infrequent rainfall, which are common in the Gulf region. They are also at the interface of the marine and terrestrial worlds, making them important in mitigating threats originating from the coastline, such as tsunamis, marine erosion, and hurricanes. While shrimp farming can be beneficial, Yusoff’s framework suggests that capitalism increasingly pervades Anthropocene, such that people ignore the negative impacts of human activities on the environment. Global warming is already a serious issue, as evidenced by Europe’s move to control carbon gas emissions with the Paris Agreement, and the more recent Green New Deal in the U.S. Seemingly, humans are more concerned about profits and economic progress without necessarily considering the environmental impacts of their actions.

Work Cited

Yusoff, Kathryn. “Golden Spikes and Dubious Origins.” A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None. University of Minnesota Press, 2018.

Qatar unveiled plans to construct a shrimp farm in 2019, which could eventually become one of the world’s largest. The first phase of the multi-million-dollar project will comprise a hatchery and production modules to produce 3,000 metric tons of shrimp annually. The project increasingly reinforces the growing importance of aquaculture in the Middle East, with countries pursuing more independent food production approaches.

However, shrimp farming has been associated with many negative environmental and social impacts, which significantly harms the flourishing sector’s sustainable development. The project will be
located in the Al Khor region, which also houses the Al Thakira Mangroves — one of the largest and oldest mangroves in the country.

​Shrimp farming is associated with several environmental impacts, including loss of biodiversity, saltwater intrusion, sedimentation, disease outbreaks, pollution, and, more importantly, mangrove forests’ degradation. However, it has significant socioeconomic benefits and high-profit agility, and in the case of Qatar, it is a welcome solution to its self-sufficiency policy. However, such a development should be backed by proper planning and management, as well as the implementation of appropriate regulations to
curb the social conflicts and environmental impacts it creates.

Despite their many environmental benefits, about 35% of the world’s mangrove forests have been destroyed — mainly due to shrimp farming. The Qatar government recently recognized the value of mangroves, with 40% of the country’s coastline under its protection (Evans). Coastal ecosystems —such as the Al Thakira Mangroves — are essential in the Gulf region, where only a few plants can withstand the harsh desert conditions. Mangroves and salt marshes are uniquely adapted to the high winds, saline seas, and infrequent rainfall, which characterize the region; they also provide a haven for various fish, birds, and animal species unique to the region. Additionally, they are at the interface between the terrestrial and marine worlds by acting as natural defense lines, particularly for threats originating along coastlines. In this sense, mangroves limit the impact of coastal storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Additionally, they mitigate soil erosion along coastlines, which helps maintain elevation for landmasses
that face the constant threat of rising sea levels.
​

Maintaining mangrove habitats is important for humans and environmental biodiversity. People stand to considerable benefit from reduced carbon emissions, which help to control climate in the region.
Although shrimp farming is a viable solution to Qatar’s self-sufficiency policy, it poses a considerable danger to the region’s mangrove ecosystems. The Al-Thakira Shrimp farm will create significant cultural complexities and political dilemmas, as the government endeavors to balance the socioeconomic benefits and a high profit agility associated with shrimp farming with the more pressing environmental concerns.

Works Cited

Evans, Kate. “Qatar’s Mangroves: Why They Matter to Climate Change.” Forest News, 08 Dec. 2020. http://www.forestsnews.cifor.org/13101/qatars-mangroves-why-they-matter-to-climate-change?fnl=. Accessed 24
October 2020.