Maheera Munir
The Red Sea is the shortest geographical linkage between the Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal, connecting the Middle East and Africa to the Indian Ocean. It transports around 6.2 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum daily and accounts for 40% of international trade annually. This speaks volumes about the strategic value of the Red Sea. However, the Houthi attacks on the Western commercial shipping in the Red Sea in protest of the Israeli military operations in Gaza have escalated tensions in the region. Coupled with the US and UK-led airstrikes on Yemen, the Red Sea is facing a grave crisis.
This has become a pressing geopolitical concern not only due to its negative impacts on global maritime trade but also owing to its far-reaching implications for the environment. The clashes between the Houthis and the West are exacerbating already acute environmental risks, posing irreversible damage to the oceans.
The recent Houthi missile attack against a UK-owned bulk freighter, Rubymar, transporting 21,000 metric tonnes of ammonium-phosphate-sulfate fertiliser, implies the worst ecological havoc the region has witnessed to date. In addition to the fertiliser, more than 7,000 barrels of oil from the freighter are also likely to end up in the waters of this region. According to maritime experts, dumping such a vast amount of fertiliser into the ocean will lead to drastic algal blooms. The excessive growth of algae blocks sunlight and creates dead zones in the ocean due to oxygen deficiency, making the survival of marine life close to impossible. Fertilisers also contain toxic chemicals which are harmful to marine life.
Other than that, this oil and fertiliser contamination will disrupt the food security and livelihoods of the fishing communities along the Red Sea coast of Yemen, and over time, other coastal areas in the region. Thus, sea pollution does not only impact marine life but can jeopardise the very survival of human life in the region.
In addition to immediate threats to the Red Sea region, the crisis can have long-term implications for the Western Indian Ocean Region. The damage to the oceans, which impacts marine life and the wider ecosystem, will eventually escalate the climate crisis, posing critical threats to other regions with geographical proximity before they expand across the globe.
Moreover, with the drought-stricken Panama Canal, the Black Sea blockade amid the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Red Sea unable to support secure shipping operations, the majority of the shipping traffic is redirected towards South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, which adds to the environmental challenges. This route incurs an additional $1 million in fuel costs and longer transit times. This increased fuel consumption and elongated transit routes translate into greater risks for accidental oil spillage and hundreds of tonnes of extra CO2 emissions, resulting in increased carbon intensity and further deterioration of the climate.
Realistically, the cessation of hostilities in Gaza would mark an end to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which is important for averting these negative impacts on global maritime trade as well as protecting the environment. However, Israel’s continued atrocities against Palestinians despite the UNSC resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire is preventing the global community from realising the environmental catastrophe unfolding in the Red Sea.
Addressing this maritime disaster necessitates the collaboration of key regional stakeholders, including Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other African states, and nations within the Indian Ocean Region, such as India and Pakistan.
These stakeholders must exert pressure on shipping companies to adhere to the maritime regulations of the International Maritime Organisation to reduce oil spillage, mitigate carbon emissions, and improve maritime security.
Moreover, as Pakistan has been quite vocal on the Israel-Gaza war in the UN General Assembly, Pakistan must also raise its voice on the detrimental environmental impact of the Red Sea crisis at the UN forum.
In the regional context, Pakistan must cooperate with the African states for the effective implementation of the maritime security measures listed in the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment. It will help advance maritime security and strengthen regional collaboration in mitigating environmental challenges in the Western Indian Ocean region.
Furthermore, the Arabian Sea largely bears the brunt of the environmental disaster building up in the Red Sea and the wider Indian Ocean. Pakistan must realise the severity of the threat immediately. Domestically, Pakistan should establish and expand marine protected areas where fishing and other activities are regulated to conserve marine ecosystems. Also, Pakistan could promote sustainable fishing practices, responsible waste disposal, and the reduction of single-use plastics to prevent devastating humanitarian consequences in the longer run.
All in all, the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East is not only undermining regional stability and maritime security but is also threatening the environment. The need for regional cooperation, focused diplomacy, and implementation of international law cannot be overstressed in this fragile situation. Only through multilateral dialogue, constructive engagement, and end of violence can the Middle East progress towards peace and stability and the Red Sea crisis be put to a halt. Essentially, it will lead towards environmental sustainability and human security.
The writer is a researcher at the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore, Pakistan. She can be reached at info@casslhr.com
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