Environment: BBC investigation reveals alarming scale of Toxic air pollution from Gas flaring in the Gulf
A recent BBC investigation has shed light on the widespread and hazardous impact of toxic pollutants released during gas flaring in the Gulf region, reaching millions more people than initially estimated. Gas flaring, the burning of waste gas during oil drilling, is occurring extensively across the Gulf, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the host of the upcoming COP28 climate summit.
Despite the UAE officially banning routine flaring two decades ago, satellite images indicate that the practice is persisting, posing potential health risks to the local population and neighboring countries.
The research indicates that the pollution is spreading over hundreds of miles, significantly deteriorating air quality across the entire region.
Analysis conducted by BBC Arabic reveals that gases from flaring sites in Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait are also contributing to the pollution.
However, all involved countries, including major oil companies managing the sites such as BP and Shell, either declined to comment or did not respond.
The findings come at a crucial time as the UAE prepares to host the UN’s COP28 climate summit, raising concerns about the contradiction between environmental commitments and ongoing environmental harm.
David R. Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, expressed deep concern over the revelations, stating that “Big Oil and petrostates carry on with business as usual with total impunity and zero accountability,” despite the severe human rights implications.
The pollutants released during flaring, including PM2.5, Ozone, NO2, and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), have been linked to serious health issues such as strokes, cancer, asthma, and heart disease by international experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO).
Additionally, global flaring contributes significantly to the emission of planet-warming greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane.
The investigation follows previous revelations that the UAE had plans to leverage its role as the host of the COP28 summit to strike oil and gas deals, further emphasizing the need for increased accountability and action to address environmental concerns in the region.
Source: BBC
