Saving the Mediterranean Sea from the threat of death A mission for Turkey?

Saving the Mediterranean Sea
from the threat of death
A mission for Turkey?

by Jean A. VERGNES

At the dawn of the 21st century the Mediterranean region has found itself with heavy damage to its marine environment and coastal zones, a phenomenon essentially linked to the elevated and growing level of pollution, especially the pollution from the enormous quantity of non-treated waste irresponsibly dumped directly or indirectly into the sea.

This damage consequently affects the migration of living species (such as bacteria, insects, plants, fish, and mammals, including humans) and is namely a result of climactic change as well as the populating of the coastline (60% of the Mediterranean population now inhabit the coast).

Well aware of the impact these problems are having on the health of the populations and the future of the region, the European Union is trying to mobilize the coastal inhabitants in order to diminish the causes of this worrisome situation in the Mediterranean, a source of both past civilisations and for our lives in the years to come.

The geographic context of a huge pollution transfer.

The health problems of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are a result of a collection of different types of pollution, notably the pollution affecting the seawater and the remnants of the already well-depleted fish stock. The sources of these pollutions must be subjected to systematic prior treatments (as is mandatory in certain countries) before being ejected into the atmosphere as gaseous emissions or into the sea (directly or indirectly via the water drainage basin) as industrial liquid effluents and polluted urban waters. This pollution comes from several sources, among them:

the coastal Mediterranean cities (150 million people).
the land along the waterways, especially along the three main rivers (Nile, Rhone and Po) emptying into the Mediterranean.
maritime transport pollution (the Mediterranean Sea has 28% of the world's petrol traffic). In fact, each year all of the world's oil tankers dump 200 times the amount of petrol of that spilled by the tanker Erika.
coastal gaseous pollution, so heavily concentrated because of the urban sprawl here. This pollution is generated by both land and air transport (which is significantly high in the Mediterranean, the top touristic region of the world), heaters, household waste incinerators, and industrial waste. This gaseous pollution is carried by the atmospheric currents, then breaks up and either falls back onto the earth as acid rain or is immediately absorbed upon contact with the water's surface. This is the pollution causing the disastrous acidification of the sea.

Black Sea pollution transferred through Turkey's Dardanelles-Marmara-Bosporus Canal. This pollution comes from Black Sea coast cities and from riverbank conglomerations, notably those along the four major rivers of the Black Sea, the Danube, the Don, the Dniepr, and the Dniestr.

A specific proposition for Turkey.

Generally, the Mediterranean Sea is subject to extreme pollution coming from Europe, a pollution consisting of phenols, heavy metals, mineral oils, pesticides, hormones, bacteria, phosphates, nitrates, etc… A major part of this pollution comes via Turkey. Turkey's collaboration and its entry into the European Union must result in a vast reduction of pollution according to mandatory European directives, particularly in terms of the pollution along the coast and waterways.

Indeed the Dardanelles-Marmara-Bosporus Straits that connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean are located in Turkey. As a result, the country could define, propose and take charge of an international project seeking solutions concerning the Black Sea pollution emptying into the Mediterranean. It would be an important plan for sustainable development in the Mediterranean due to its multi-faceted impact (ecological, economical, legal, political, sociological and technical) and the approach required to adopt it.

The geopolitical impact is clearly very significant, considering Turkey's request of entry into the EU. The technical portion could be sponsored by the Mediterranean Engineering School Network. The problems pertaining to pollution and, more generally, to sustainable development, would become the focus of this network, if it is not already, serving all nations of these two seas, as its influence could well extend as far as the Black Sea nations.

The Turkish ministers who would be occupied with this issue could provide the studies corresponding to the political and economic aspects by calling upon the expertise of Turkish universities and possibly Euro-Mediterranean institutes (such as the Mediterranean Engineering School Network). Other support could be provided by intergovernmental organisations like :
- the European Union
- Euro-Mediterranean organisations common to the twenty Mediterranean nations, some integrating the Black Sea nations (the Mediterranean General Fishing Commission, which draws support from the FAO,...)
- the OCDE
- and United Nations groups like BM, PNUD, FAO, and UNESCO.

Note : Besides customary European (EU) laws and directives, there are a number of legislative tools (multilateral treaties, conventions and protocols) that require nations to respect the environment, especially the rivers and coasts. These tools are derived from various organisms (the International Court of Justice, Euro-Mediterranean organisations, United Nations organisations, River Commissions, etc.).

The main outlines for the initial phase of this definitive plan

The document "A Mediterranean strategy for sustainable development", aiming towards environmental sustainability and a shared prosperity (PNUE/Plan Bleu, 6/2005), could be important support for establishing the project. This proposal also takes part in the European strategy for Turkey (adopted in 1998) that foresees a consolidation in cooperation and a uniting of legislations in certain domains. It also obviously is a significant advance for Turkey in these discussions with the EU authorities and has an inciting impact on other countries of the Euro-Mediterranean zone who also have responsibilities towards the many pollutions of the Mediterranean Sea.

With a multidisciplinary approach and a philosophy relevant to sustainable development, it would consist of :
1.- Making an inventory of the possible work accomplished or underway as well as the results obtained on the technical, statistical, legislative, health-related and financial aspects concerning the previously mentioned issues.
2.- Determining the technical means before allowing for the determination of the origins and chemical and physical characteristics of the various kinds of pollution that come through the straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the research for automatic measuring systems and obtained data transmissions before being
singled out.
3.- Studying the pollution's impact on human health and on the aquatic species as well as on their marine habitat
4.- Deepening legislative measures as well as the conditions of their implementation.
5.- Determining a strategy: informing the public, defining legal tools, international negotiations, timeframe, costs, necessary cooperative agreements, foreseeable processes for pollution reduction (treatment, recycling waste) in every nation that contributes to the pollution in the Black Sea.
6.- Evaluating material, human and financial needs needed to commence and follow-up the project as well as regular evaluation of any acquired results.
7.- Garnering support from UN Agencies, the EU, the OCDE and various Euro-Mediterranean organisations.
8.- Determining the situation's current socio-economic impact as well as the project's subsequent results.

An opportunity not only for Turkey, but also for the European Union

Turkey is the key to reducing the biggest contribution of extreme pollution to the Mediterranean Sea, whose consequences affect the nutrition, health and quality of life of the inhabitants of the region, the world's top tourist destination… so long as the health of the sea will allow it.

At a time when the question of Turkey's entry into the European Union is the object of many political debates, a time when Europe must face the rapid growth of India and China (2.5 billion individuals) who export both products and consequent pollution, Europeans must forego all past feelings and prejudices among themselves in order to hastily expand the borders of their Union. Forging political unions and promoting an approach essential for sustainable development would best manage the difficult economic and geopolitical stakes that are showing to characterise this new decade.

In this context, there are many reasons to accelerate the welcome of Turkey into the European Union. The object of this work of reflection has been to evoke one of them.