- During the Iran–Iraq war of the 1980s and subsequent conflicts, large-scale oil spills and fires caused lasting environmental damage in the Arabian Gulf.
- A new commentary by United Arab Emirates special envoy of the minister of foreign affairs for nature Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak explains that recovery of impacted marine ecosystems, where it occurred, took decades, but that this progress is now threatened by the new conflict along the gulf.
- “What is at stake today is not only the repetition of past damage, but its amplification across interconnected systems,” she writes in arguing for an end to the current conflict.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
At this time of year, the waters of the Arabian Gulf support one of the most significant gatherings of marine life anywhere in the world. Thousands of dugongs congregate in shallow coastal areas, including mother-and-calf pairs, dependent on the 3,000 square kilometers (well over 1,000 square miles) of seagrass meadows in Abu Dhabi waters. Along the same coastline, sea turtles return to nest, seabirds enter their breeding season, and migratory birds pass through wetlands that connect continents. Mangroves and coral reefs line these coasts.
These ecosystems exist alongside the same coastal zones that support cities, energy and industrial infrastructure. They also underpin human life across the region. Tens of millions of people depend on desalination, drawing seawater from these same environments. Their survival, like ours, depends on clean water, intact habitats and stable environmental conditions.
I have had the rare privilege, through my work, to witness these systems up close. Their richness is extraordinary, but so too is their fragility. The danger is that war turns that fragility into lasting damage.
An airstrike on an oil tanker, or a collision, fire or loss of control by one of these vessels would release oil or other pollutants into shallow waters, where they spread rapidly across seagrass beds and coastal habitats. Water quality declines, oxygen levels fall, nesting sites are lost, and breeding cycles are disrupted. Local populations can collapse, and recovery becomes uncertain.
The risks are heightened by the nature of the gulf itself. It is shallow, semi-enclosed, and connected to the open ocean only through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. Water exchange is limited and so it can take years for pollutants to disperse. Toxins tend to persist and accumulate, intensifying their impact over time.
This is why damage to energy infrastructure carries consequences far beyond the point of impact. A single incident can escalate from a localized spill to widespread environmental harm. When refineries, storage facilities or other critical infrastructure are affected, additional risks emerge, including chemical releases, fires, and long-term contamination of air, soil and water.
When coastal waters are polluted, desalination systems are compromised. The result is not only environmental damage, but a direct threat to water security and human health across the region.
None of this is theoretical. During the Iran–Iraq war of the 1980s, and subsequent conflicts in the gulf, large-scale oil spills and fires caused lasting environmental damage. Coastal habitats were degraded, fisheries collapsed in affected areas, and recovery, where it occurred, took decades.
What is at stake today is not only the repetition of past damage, but its amplification across interconnected systems. The gulf underpins both regional livelihoods and a significant share of the global energy system. Environmental damage would not remain contained. It would extend outward, affecting shared environmental resources and broader stability.
The principle that nature must be respected and protected as a foundation of human well-being has long been understood in this region and enshrined in international law. It was also central to the vision of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This understanding is now being tested.
While the financial costs of damage can be calculated, the loss of ecosystems and species cannot. Once degraded, these systems may not recover.
These risks must be recognized for what they are: the potential for large-scale environmental damage with consequences that extend far beyond the immediate moment.
Preventing that damage is not only an environmental imperative. It is essential to protecting the systems that sustain life in the region and beyond.
These attacks must be condemned. And they must stop.
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak is the U.A.E.’s special envoy of the minister of foreign affairs for nature, and managing director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.
Banner image: A pair of flamingos in Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Image courtesy of Maitha Bughanoom.
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