Al Sambouk Issue 2. April 1996.
Editorial
Executive Director of UNEP

Visits PERSGA
Welcome to the second issue of the PERSGA
newsletter Al Sambouk. The name of this newsletter

reflects its function: Al Sambouk is meant to be a
Ms. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, United Nations Under-
vehicle which will inform and educate the people of the
Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP,
region about the marine environment and the activities
visited the PERSGA office in Jeddah on Saturday 13
which are occurring here to conserve and protect our
April, as part of a visit to the offices of the
valuable, shared resources. We wish to thank those
Meteorological and Environmental Protection
people who wrote congratulatory and encouraging
Administration of Saudi Arabia. Ms. Dowdeswell, who
letters in response to the first issue of Al Sambouk. I
was accompanied by Dr. Makram Gerges (Director,
would like to invite readers to contribute articles for Al
ROWA), met with PERSGA Secretary General Dr.
Sambouk (in either English or Arabic) about activities
Nizar Tawfiq, Dr. William Gladstone, and Dr. Dirar
you are currently involved in, or if you wish to
Nasr. During the meeting a Memorandum of
announce a coming workshop or conference.
Understanding between PERSGA and UNEP was
signed. Progress in activities relevant to both PERSGA
One of the significant regional activities which
and UNEP was discussed, in particular the Global
PERSGA is undertaking this year is a number of
Programme of Action for the Prevention of Pollution
regional training workshops. The first workshop was
from Land-Based Activities, the Strategic Action
held in Jeddah during January and a report of the
Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and the
workshop is included in this issue. Most of the
Red Sea Regional Framework Plan project. Dr Tawfiq
countries in the region are participating in a large scale
stressed the importance to the Red Sea and Gulf of
environmental programme called the Strategic Action
Aden region of a close and effective working
Programme (SAP) for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
relationship between PERSGA and UNEP.
The SAP is being funded by the three partners in the
Global Environment Facility (GEF): the UNDP, UNEP,

and the World Bank. PERSGA has the lead role in this
significant regional initiative, by coordinating the
Regional Training Workshop in
activities of most of the countries involved. This issue
Jeddah
of Al Sambouk features a major article describing the

SAP, contributed by one the GEF partner agencies, the

UNDP. There is also a report on the second meeting of
A regional training workshop on environmental impact
the SAP Task Force which took place in Amman earlier
assessment (EIA) was run here in Jeddah by PERSGA
this month, and a report on a significant GEF project
from 13-17 January. The workshop was funded by the
which has just begun in Yemen. PERSGA receives
Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the funds
funding from this project (and another GEF project in
coming directly from two major GEF projects which
Egypt) to ensure that the benefits of both projects are
are currently underway in Yemen and Egypt (the
felt throughout the region.
Yemen project is described later in this issue of Al
We hope that you enjoy this issue of Al Sambouk, and
Sambouk). Funding from these two projects, which is
that you find it useful.
given to PERSGA to organize the training workshops,
will ensure that the benefits of these two national
Dr William Gladstone
projects will be felt throughout the region. Additional

support during the workshop was provided by the
In This Issue of Al Sambouk:
Meteorological and Environmental Protection

Administration (MEPA) of Saudi Arabia, and the
Editorial 1
workshop was held in the MEPA Conference Room.
Executive Director of UNEP Visits PERSGA 1
The workshop was attended by a total of 23
Regional Training Workshop in Jeddah 1
Strategic Action Programme 2
participants representing Yemen (5 participants); Saudi
Second SAP Task Force Meeting 4
Arabia (3 participants); Jordan (3 participants); Egypt
The GEF Yemen Project 4
(5 participants), Djibouti (3 participants) and Eritrea
Research Grants 5
(2 participants). Dr Nizar Tawfiq, Secretary General of

Al Sambouk, Issue 2. April 1996, page 1

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Al Sambouk Issue 2. April 1996.

PERSGA, officially opened the workshop and
- the prevention of the over-exploitation of natural
welcomed participants, and he also closed the workshop
resources by unified legislation among the countries of
and presented the attendance certificates.
the region
The workshop consisted of a series of background
- the elimination of oil pollution from ships in ports
lectures about the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden marine
and coastal waters of the region, and the
environment and the principles of marine ecosystems
importance of finding a monitoring mechanism.
relevant to EIA; background lectures on the principles

of EIA; specific case studies of EIA illustrating these
principles which concentrated on different uses of the
Strategic Action Programme For
marine environment currently occurring in the region
(housing and tourism; industry; waste water and
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
sewage disposal); a detailed case study of a waste
disposal project in Jeddah (including a site visit);

monitoring in EIA; and small group discussions on
The central role of PERSGA in regional environmental
regional issues in the marine environment and the use of
issues was realized with the Cairo Declaration and the
EIA in each country.
official approval of the PERSGA Headquarters in
Jeddah during the Ministerial meeting of PERSGA
Expert speakers presented different aspects of the
member countries in September 1995. One of the
workshop programme. They came from Jordan
important roles of PERSGA will be its participation in
(Mr. Abdullah Ahmed from USAid), Saudi Arabia
the GEF preparatory project involving the development
(Dr. Ziad Hamza Abu Gharahrah from MEPA;
of a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the Red
Dr. Salah El Din Awadallah from King Abdulaziz
Sea and Gulf of Aden. In order to achieve International
University), the GEF Yemen project (Dr. Rifaat
Waters objectives in the Red Sea, shared by eight
Hanna), PERSGA (Dr. William Gladstone and
countries, a coordinated SAP is necessary to determine
Dr. Dirar Nasr), and MEPA (Dr. David Olsen and
regional and national needs and priorities. By analyzing
Dr. Salah-eddin Elgowhary). Most lectures were
the current state of the region's marine environment and
presented in Arabic.
the human-induced threats (pollution, development,
For the last session of the workshop the participants
over-exploitation), the SAP will pinpoint the "hotspots"
split into two small groups and shared information on
to be addressed and the priority actions to be
EIA and the environmental issues in each of their
undertaken to remove/reduce the root causes of the
countries. The participants then together raised the
problems. The SAP will also provide a programmatic
following issues for discussion and consideration:
approach to the development of country-based
International Waters projects so that such projects may
- there is a need for unified procedures for EIA amongst
provide, and benefit from, linkages with on-going
the countries of the region, and utilization of the
Regional Seas Initiatives and major International
experiences of other countries in EIA studies
Waters projects. It is believed that the programmatic
- special consideration needs to be given to
approach of SAP will assure a concerted international
environmentally sensitive areas in EIAs to ensure their
approach to transboundary problems and the realization
conservation
of global and regional benefits. Such a SAP concept is
- coastal zone management planning in the countries of
strongly emphasized in the recently approved GEF
the region needs to consider the negative impacts of
Operational Strategy for International Waters.
development activities such as landfilling and dredging;
The development of the Red Sea SAP will be a
it is important that a mechanism for the exchange of
collaborative process in which PERSGA and the three
information in this field throughout the region be found
agencies (UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank) will
- there is a need for a workshop for legal experts from
assist the eight countries, through a SAP Task Force, to
throughout the region to review and update the existing
develop country reports and hotspot studies prior to the
environmental legislation and to encourage countries of
formulation of regional and national priority actions
the region to join relevant international conventions,
and project concepts. The country reports, hotspot
with PERSGA playing the lead role in coordinating
studies and priority actions and project concepts will be
these activities
incorporated into the Red Sea SAP final document. In
view of UNDP's mandate for capacity building, and its


Al Sambouk, Issue 2. April 1996, page 2

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Al Sambouk Issue 2. April 1996.

long-standing in-country experiences, UNDP will work
Dr. Friedhelm Krupp, has been hired and a programme
closely with Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and
of visits to the sub-region defined. In December
Somalia. The World Bank will primarily assist the
Dr. Krupp will meet with the PERSGA Secretary
process in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia where
General, Dr. Nizar Tawfiq, and his staff. He will also
investment needs are of high national priority. Further,
visit UNEP-Nairobi and the UNDP-Somalia office
the World Bank will support the preparation of a
which is temporarily located in Nairobi. This will be
regional study on maritime hotspot aspects.
followed by survey work in the Sudan in collaboration
with a Sudanese team of experts. Subsequent
This article will elaborate on the roles and activities of
preliminary visits to Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea are
UNDP in the SAP process, in accordance with national
scheduled for January to be followed by more extensive
needs and priorities. The roles of the World Bank and
survey trips to these countries and Somalia in March.
UNEP will be covered in future issues of Al Sambouk.
For each of the five countries, national specialists in the
The SAP will build on a number of GEF supported
field of environmental sciences, fisheries and socio-
programmes, among which are two being implemented
economics, will play an important role to the SAP
by UNDP: the preparatory project in Eritrea
process. They are expected to work closely together to
("Conservation of Coral Reef Biodiversity Through
analyze the environmental threats and hotspot issues.
Community-Based Resource Management"), and the
Together with the Governments and various
full project in Yemen ("Protection of the Marine
stakeholders such as fishermen and developers, they
Ecosystems of the Red Sea Coast"). The Yemen project
will identify priority actions for inclusion in the SAP.
is composed of both national and regional components.
Based on the findings of the national teams, supported
The regional component is providing a great deal of
by the Chief Technical Consultant, country reports will
support to the development of the SAP by the
be drafted reflecting national priorities and hotspot
institutional strengthening of PERSGA, partly through
issues. It is planned that by June 1996 the five country
the regional CTA (Chief Technical Advisor, Dr
reports will be close to completion. A regional study on
William Gladstone) who is stationed in PERSGA. The
the socio-economic situation as well as fisheries hotspot
close integration of the SAP process with the Yemen
will follow.
and Eritrea projects will ensure that national priorities
of these two countries are reflected in the SAP. The
The actual preparation of the Strategic Action Plan is
human and institutional capacity that will be built by
scheduled for the second half of 1996. This will be done
the two projects through education and training
with inputs from, and in collaboration with, the Task
workshops will facilitate the implementation of the
Force, PERSGA, UNEP and the World Bank.
priority actions identified in the SAP.
Project/programme proposal outlines will be formulated
to put the SAP into action beyond this preparatory
The SAP will also identify the priority actions needed in
phase. The final SAP document incorporating these
countries where no current marine/coastal projects are
proposal outlines is expected to be completed in
underway. Specifically, the SAP will resume the
December 1996.
momentum generated during the preparation of the
Sudan proposal for "Integrated Development and
Throughout the SAP process, Task Force meetings are
Management of Red Sea Coastal and Marine
to be scheduled intermittently to bring together the eight
Ecosystems". This proposal was prepared earlier in
countries, PERSGA and the three implementing
view of the importance of the coastal and marine issues
agencies. It is through open and in-depth consultations
in this vast country. Likewise, Djibouti will require
with the Governments and stakeholders that consensus
assistance in the sustainable management of its coastal
on national and regional priorities can be reached, and a
and marine resources as economic development takes
truly agreed-upon Red Sea SAP will emerge.
priority. It is envisaged that Somalia, where

institutional stability is lacking, will also benefit from
the SAP process, although the latter will only focus on
Catherine Cheung
the Gulf of Aden coast of Somalia.
GEF Unit, Regional Bureau for Arab States, UNDP
Headquarters, New York
Work towards achieving the above has already started.
The project was officially launched during the recent
Second SAP Task Force Meeting
Sea-to-Sea conference held in Jeddah in October 1995.
Subsequently, a Chief Technical Consultant,



Al Sambouk, Issue 2. April 1996, page 3

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Al Sambouk Issue 2. April 1996.

The second meeting of the SAP Task Force was held in
Force will be held in Jeddah in late September,
Amman, Jordan, from 31 March - 1 April. The meeting
preceding the annual meeting of the PERSGA Council.
was attended by representatives from the governments
It is planned that, by that time, a briefing will be
of Djibouti (Mr. Mohammad Ali Mumen), Jordan
prepared on the results of the SAP, for presentation to
(Dr. Saleh Al Share), Saudi Arabia (Mr. Abdulwahab
the PERSGA Council.
Daqqaq), Sudan (Professor Yousif Abu Gideiri), and

Yemen (Mr. Hussein Al Geneid), and from PERSGA
(Dr. Nizar Tawfiq and Dr. William Gladstone), UNDP
The GEF Yemen Project
(Ms. Catherine Cheung and Dr. Friedhelm Krupp),

UNOPS (Mr. Roger Aertgeerts), UNEP (Mr. Halifa
A three year project with a budget of $ 2.8 m began in
Drammeh), the World Bank (Dr. Stephen Lintner), and
Yemen in December 1995. The project is funded by the
the Islamic Development Bank (Mr. Ahmed Hariri). In
Global Environment Facility (GEF), and implemented
opening the meeting the Task Force Chairman,
by the United Nations Development Programme
Dr. Nizar Tawfiq, warmly thanked both the
(UNDP). The title of the project is Yemen: Protection
Government of Jordan for hosting the meeting, and the
of Marine Ecosystems of the Red Sea Coast. In Yemen
various representatives for attending. He also praised
the project will be implemented by the Ministry of Fish
the considerable progress which had been made in the
Wealth/Marine Science and Resources Research
SAP since the first Task Force meeting was held in
Centre. The headquarters of the project are in
Jeddah last October.
Al Hodeyda, on the Red Sea coast, from here the
The meeting was largely taken up with a review of the
project will be managed by the Project Manager
progress which had been achieved. In particular, there
Dr. Rifaat Hanna.
was a lengthy discussion of the environmental issues
which had been raised during the visit of the Chief
Background
Technical Consultant, Dr. Friedhelm Krupp, to the
Current information on Yemen's marine resources and
southern countries of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
their use is insufficient to provide the groundwork for
(Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Sudan). The issues
regulations to prevent pollution. Most marine pollution
which have been highlighted so far include: de-
in the region is caused by oil and tar from shipping.
ballasting and, oil and solid waste pollution associated
Landfill activities have also damaged valuable habitats.
with marine shipping; a lack of enforcement of existing
Shippers have deliberately sought these waters for
environmental laws; the need for national and regional
polluting activities such as tank cleaning, because of the
oil spill contingency plans and additional MEMAC
lack of monitoring on this coast. The absence of
centres; the potential environmental problems
adequate background marine biological data has also
associated with free zones; fisheries issues including a
contributed to making such actions relatively simple. In
lack of stock assessment data, over-fishing, destructive
addition, there is concern about latent problems
fishing, illegal shark fishing and its by-catch; the lack
stemming from land-based sources of pollution such as
of information exchange amongst countries in the
sediment, heavy metal, pesticide and fertilizer run-off.
region; pollution from land-based activities; insufficient
Although no clear evidence exists, even to determine
environmental data in many parts of the region for
whether the present level of resource use is sustainable,
planning and management purposes; the effects of
the rise in coastal population has led to plans to
tourism on coral reefs; and a lack of public awareness
increase industrial/commercial fishing.
about marine environmental issues. The list is only
preliminary and no doubt additional issues will be
The project has a three-pronged approach:
raised during the forthcoming return visits by
· finding our what is important in these waters, where
Dr. Krupp to the countries over the period from April
the important areas (such as coral reefs) are, and
to June.
how much of these have been damaged so far. This
The Task Force learnt that in the northern countries of
activity will require extensive data collection
the Red Sea there is already a considerable amount of
· educating the public about marine conservation
environmental data available. The SAP, through the
issues and the importance of sustainable
World Bank, will review and assemble the relevant
development for Yemen
information for Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia over
the coming three months. The next meeting of the Task


Al Sambouk, Issue 2. April 1996, page 4

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Al Sambouk Issue 2. April 1996.

· preparing the ground for effective marine
Projects can relate to research dealing with the ecology
management.
and sustainable management of aquatic resources,
including artisanal fisheries. Simple surveys should not
The expected results of the project
be included. Project proposals dealing with aquaculture
research, i.e., site selection, selection, breeding, rearing,
This project is intended to increase Yemen's
and nutrition of cultivable organisms and disease
commitment to sustainable use of the Red Sea by
control are invited. Relevant research in aquatic biology
creating a sharper awareness of environmental issues.
and ecology, environmental impact studies, and ecology
The project will improve the country's capacity to
of species and systems can be proposed in applications.
protect its coastal waters from pollution, and to guard
against depletion of its valuable biodiversity. These
The conditions for the grant follow the usual IFS
results are prerequisites for Yemen to tackle the
policy. Research grants are awarded up to a maximum
mounting problems facing its marine environment.
value of US$12,000 for a period of one to three years
More specifically the project will affect the following:
and may be renewed twice. They are intended for the
·
purchase of equipment, expendable supplies and
marine resource issue will be dealt with more
literature. Applicants have to be native to, and carry out
effectively in the national planning process
the research in a developing country. As well as being
· there will be an improved ability to recognize, early
under the age of 40 and at the start of their research
on, the potential damage from a wide range of
career, candidates must possess a higher academic
marine activities, and a corresponding improvement
degree, which should be at least an MSc or equivalent.
in the ability to make planning and development
Applicants must be employed at a university or
decisions to minimize their environmental costs
research institution in a developing country; the
·
institution will be expected to provide salaries and basic
staff within government agencies and research
research facilities.
organizations will have received on-the-job training
through participation in the following activities:
Besides supporting research in aquatic resources, the
environmental survey and monitoring; environmental
IFS also funds projects in the areas of animal
data collection and interpretation; environmental
production, crop science, food science, forestry and
impact assessment and monitoring; public
agroforestry, and natural products.
awareness programmes. Training will also have
Applications are welcome on a year-round basis. They
been provided through workshops, overseas short
are evaluated by an international group of senior
courses, and completion of degree courses at
scientists who are specialists in their respective fields of
overseas institutions
research. In the PERSGA region, applicants from the
· a framework for continuing survey and monitoring
following countries are eligible to apply for funding:
systems will have been established
Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Palestine, Somalia,
·
Sudan, and Yemen.
a marine protected areas system will be
recommended, based on sites identified by this
Further information and application forms (in English
project with a review of previously proposed sites.
or French) with guidelines are available on request from
the International Foundation for Science, Grev
This report on the GEF Yemen project was compiled
Turegatan 19, S-114 38 Stockholm, Sweden. Fax: + 46
from information in the UNDP/GEF project document
8 660 2618. E-mail: rfu@ifs.se
Yemen: Protection of Marine Ecosystems of the Red
Sea Coast, and from information provided by
Dr. Rifaat Hanna.
Research Grants for Young
Scientists in Developing Countries
The International Foundation for Science (IFS) invites
young scientists of merit in developing countries to
submit proposals for research projects in the field of
aquatic resources.


Al Sambouk, Issue 2. April 1996, page 5

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