The Dubai Municipality has recovered nine sunken wooden boats and commercial vessels loaded with 820 tonnes of marine waste from the Dubai Creek this year. The National reported that the authority plans to remove a further 11 abandoned boats from key waterways by the end of next year as part of a major clean-up drive. The campaign is being conducted across the emirate, with other areas targeted including Dubai Water Canal, Business Bay Canal and Jaddaf.
The Gulf state has committed to collecting and recycling 95% of deep underwater waste. This is part of their strategy to reduce carbon emissions and improve the sustainability of Dubai’s marine environment. The teams will remove all canal waste that obstructs the navigational movement of boats and vessels and disrupts trade and tourism traffic. The environmental impact of debris scattered by sunken boats is an issue of global concern.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that there are three million sunken vessels abandoned in the world’s oceans. Many of these vessels have been buried deep underwater for several decades, and they can release oil leaks and toxic waste that can devastate marine life and harm humans who consume fish exposed to dangerous chemicals.