Blue Carbon - First Level Exploration of Blue Carbon in the Arabian Peninsula

WHY BLUE CARBON IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA?

Carbon dioxide emissions are those resulting from the burning of fossil fuels and include gasses produced during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and the manufacture of cement. Since the discovery of oil in the Arabian Peninsula more than 30 years ago, many states have undergone a profound transformation from impoverished small desert principalities to modern states with high standards of living and rapid development of infrastructure and commerce. Rapid economic and population growth and high energy consumption have led to per capita carbon emissions at levels many times that of the world average.

All seven countries of the Arabian Peninsula are signatories to the Kyoto Climate Protocol, a protocol to the UNFCCC, aimed at addressing climate change. Signatory parties are directed to ensure that National Communication reports submitted to the UNFCCC include descriptions of planned mitigation measures. Many states throughout the region are pursuing a range of options to mitigate their GHG emissions, including solar power, carbon capture and storage and other innovative technologies. As the Arabian Peninsula contains no major terrestrial forests, Blue Carbon may provide options for carbon sequestration and storage in natural coastal ecosystems.

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