Inece - International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement

Characterized by scarce water resources and fragile ecosystems even without human impacts, the Middle East  and North Africa region can ill afford significant deterioration of the environment.  Yet economic development in the region has accelerated with the rest of the world and modern consumption patterns have created significant stresses on water supplies and finite areas of arable land. Much of the development and accompanying deterioration has occurred along coastal zones, threatening marine ecosystems and resources.

The Middle East and North Africa region has seen a significant increase in pollution-related health problems in heavily populated areas.  High concentrations of solid waste in urban areas create health risks which are exacerbated by lack of capacity elsewhere to treat the problem. In many countries in the region, polluters exploit weak environmental laws  and enforcement to pursue environmentally harmful activities, discharging hazardous wastes and harmful air pollutants.  As governments in the region strengthen environmental laws, environmental compliance and enforcement networks provide an increasingly effective mechanism for sharing expertise with local environmental compliance and enforcement officials.

Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Issues in the Middle East and North Africa Region include:

• Increasingly scarce water supplies and loss of arable land
• Unsustainable agriculture and grazing practices
• Deterioration of marine ecosystems and overfishing
• Inefficient combustion of fossil fuels and high particulate and sulfur emissions
• Significant discharge of hazardous industrial wastes and pesticides