Seven years after the Gulf War, it was time to reassess the environmental situation of Kuwait, its patterns of recovery and examine the long-term effects that remain.

The environmental assessment produced by Green Cross includes two parts. The first is a study led by a group of scientists/environmental experts and the second is a 26 minutes film-documentary.

The environmental damage resulting from the invasion and the subsequent war has affected all ecosystems, as well as human health.

Thousands of people still suffer deep psychological disorders - including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which prevents people from returning to a normal life.

The oil contamination of the terrestrial ecosystems reached levels on a scale unprecedented in the history of the planet. The impacts on the environment will take decades to partially disappear and their full effects may never be known.

Experts from Green Cross discovered that one fresh groundwater aquifer, representing 40% of the fresh water reserves of Kuwait, is heavily contaminated, and the remaining strategic freshwater reserves provide Kuwait with less than a two-month supply for the entire population!

The vitality of the sea and its power of natural regeneration are stronger than that of the desert. After the incredible ecological stresses due to the war, the marine ecosystems and fisheries have progressively regained their prewar status.

Seven years after the war, the impacts of oil contamination due to the war on the marine ecosystems and living species such as fish and shrimp are difficult to distinguish from the impacts of chronic pollution from the oil industry and coastal development. Currently, the coral reefs appear healthy and the quantity of shrimp harvested each year are similar those recorded before the war. These findings do not identify the more long-term impacts of the contamination on marine ecosystems and living species. The research on the long-term impacts must be strengthened.

The presence and fear of mines is a major issue of concern. The long-term health impacts remain an essential public health issue that requires the implementation of rehabilitation programs.

The environment has always been one of the "victims" of war throughout the history of mankind. The environment is also a victim of ecological catastrophes caused by human technology, Chernobyl being the worst example. Mikhaïl Gorbachev, president of Green Cross International promotes the creation of a special Fund dedicated to finance interventions in case of Environmental emergencies.

The world's recognition that the environment can be used as a weapon of mass destruction is an important lesson learned from the Iraqi invasion in Kuwait.

On August 2, 1990, Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi troops. The fires, resulting from the destruction of oil wells throughout Kuwait, produced an incredible cloud of darkness and pollution. The country, and then progressively the whole region, was covered by an oily film from the ever growing black cloud. Dark clouds blocked the sunlight for months, the air temperature of the atmosphere decreased by an average of 10 degrees centigrade, and the water temperature of the sea decreased by several degrees.

The war had killed more than 1,000 people and injured more than 1,700.

After the fighting stopped, the first priority was to extinguish the 613 oil well fires and reclaim the land, air, water, and industry of the country. It took nine months for teams of oil fire experts from eighteen nations to put out the "Fires of Kuwait". Only on November 6, 1991, did Kuwait celebrate the extinguishing of the last fire.

The 60 million barrels of oil released in the desert formed 246 oil lakes covering a surface of 49 km²; the smoke and soot contaminated 953 km² of desert; the oil spill soiled 1,500 km of Gulf coast.

Ninety-five percent of the oil was removed and exported, however the remaining 5% continues to pollute the desert with a high risk of contaminating the fresh and brackish ground water that is so limited in the region.

The Gulf waters were host to one of the biggest oil releases in the history of the oil industry; ten million barrels, six times more than the previous record holder, the Amoco Cadiz oil spills. This spillage stressed marine life and coral reefs, the "Jewels of Kuwait's Gulf Waters".

The Gulf War Impact on Terrestrial Environment

Seven years after one of the worst oil pollution events in human history, it is clear that the greatest damage was that done to the land. The burning and gushing oil from hundreds of oil wells has led to an unprecedented disaster that has left huge areas of Kuwait polluted. Even though the less contaminated areas show signs of recovery, the situation in the oil lake areas worsens each year as the contamination goes deeper into the desert soil.

Water contamination is the greatest concern. This scarce resource is seriously threatened by contamination from the oil lakes. Forty percent of Kuwait's fresh water reserves are no longer of drinkable quality and there is no scientific proof that a technical solution will solve or even improve the problem in the future. Alternative renewable sources of fresh water residing in the wadi subsurface aquifers are also threatened by 120 km of oil trenches along the Saudi Border.

Brackish water seems to have escaped oil contamination for now. However, potential leaks in oil well casings threaten this. In addition, the pumping rate of most of these aquifers is far over the replenishment rate, endangering water levels in the long-term.

Priority must be given to the research and future policies of Kuwait's water supply. Water conservation programs must be vigorously enhanced. Research, focusing on the prevention of groundwater contamination and the restoration and enhancement of water security storage, must be done immediately so that quick actions may be taken. Future research should also focus on the different ways to increase the catch of rainfall for human use.

Kuwait's agricultural practices must be seriously re-examined in light of water stress. The future development of agriculture must take into account groundwater scarcity, costs of desalinated water, and soil salination problems. Similarly, grazing may pose health threats to the animals in addition to slowing the recovery of desert vegetation.

Contaminated soil must be cleaned. Huge amounts of oiled sand is a burden for the environment. Time is also working against Kuwait. Oil continues to go deeper and deeper, making the problem more and more difficult to solve. As the soil erodes, the particles become airborne and could create health problems and a large scale chronic pollution problem. These soils will also continue to pose threats to groundwater sources located nearby.

Remediation must be dramatically accelerated. Even though experimental studies and cost effective assessments are not fully completed, knowledge seems sufficient to start remediation on a larger scale. Whatever it costs now, it will cost far more later. The situation cannot be left as it is.

The Gulf War Impacts on Marine environment

Contrary to the land situation, the oil contamination of the sea has had less serious impacts in Kuwait, and natural recovery has improved the situation over time. Other large oil spills have demonstrated the resistance of the marine environment to oil pollution. On average, it takes 15 years for marine life to return to its equilibrium, even though this new equilibrium is not always exactly the same as it was prior to the contamination.

Seven years after the Gulf War, intertidal areas still show traces of the oil spill and intertidal communities have not yet fully recovered. The oil trapped in the sediment, constantly released through weathering and natural degradation, must be monitored. It is doubtful that a technical solution, more efficient than natural recovery, will be found.

The detrimental impacts of coastal development on marine resources will not end in 15 years, but instead will be felt much longer, if not forever. The coast has been developed increasingly since the War, without environmental impact assessments in most of the cases. Also, several huge projects are planned for the future (e.g., completion of the waterfront project, the bridge across Kuwait Bay, free trade zone on Bubiyan Island). Thorough examination need to be undertaken to identify the risks posed to marine life by these coastal development projects.

Ecologically sound land-use planning urgently needs to be implemented along Kuwait's coast, especially due to the fact that the nation is so dependent on the economic, aesthetic and cultural value of healthy coastlines.

Despite the War, the marine resources still have a great potential and are a main contribution to the food supply in Kuwait. However, it seems that a number of important commercial species of shrimp and fish are currently harvested close to or over the maximum sustainable yield. The conjunction of the on-going negative environmental factors with the high pressures that resulted from the decrease in fishery efficiency since the War will lead to over fishing.

Kuwait can rely upon scientific research and management policies that have proven to be effective in the past. The implementation of these management policies should help the marine resources to overcome ongoing detrimental environmental factors.

Some detrimental environmental factors, such as the changes in the Shatt Al-Arab discharges, are not the responsibility of Kuwait. Technical and political solutions to counteract them must be taken under the umbrella of an international body through international cooperation.

The Gulf War Impacts on Health

A number of public health issues related to the Gulf War require further attention

The psychological disorders are important public health issues because they have long-term implications. Behavioral disorders observed in children raise major concerns about the psychological development of these children. The relationship between violent behavior, drug abuse and the War needs to be determined. Research on the role of coping strategies and social support in the Kuwaiti and the non-Kuwaiti population is crucial to finding the relative importance of different intervention strategies.

The environmental impact of air pollution fallout, fumes and desert topsoil contamination from the oil lakes may have long-term health consequences through accumulation in the food chain or contamination of irrigation and drinking water. They represent a major long-term public health issue because they potentially affect the whole population of Kuwait. Research and monitoring efforts should be directed to further assess exposure levels and health outcomes. The role of ongoing environmental pollution from industrial sources (e.g. pollution from traffic and oil industries) and behavioral health co-factors (e.g., diet, smoking) also ought to be assessed.

An estimated 33,000 unexploded mines remain in the desert. Casualties caused by these abandoned mines and ammunition are still reported. The public should be kept informed about potentially dangerous areas, and what to do if a suspicious object is found.

The pregnancy complications and birth defects were found to have increased in 1992-1993 compared to 1987-1989, but were back to pre-war levels in 1994-1995. The sustained increase of delivery interventions (cesarean section, cesarean hysterectomy and hysterectomy for postpartum hemorrhage), requires further attention. The birth defects must also be monitored in order to evaluate trends in congenital anomalies.

Nature Conservation

Protected areas are an important component of any environmental policy. Worldwide, it is recommended that 15% of a country's territory should be classified as protected areas. These areas must not be closed areas, but places with appropriate management allowing Kuwaitis to discover - and rediscover after recovery - the treasures of their nature without endangering them. The islands of the Gulf should be classified as protected areas.

The high cost of environmental degradation only gets more expensive when left unattended. The price is not only paid in hard currency, but in the damage of the public's health.

The international community must act now to avoid any repetition of such use and ensure that mechanisms are in place to act quickly for the sake of present and future generations.