Impact of Oil Spills on Environmental Pollution: Analysis and Mitigation Strategies in the UAE and Middle East

The research surveyed the environmental and economic losses arising from oil spills in the UAE and the Middle East while assessing the adequacy of the current response programs. Self-developed questionnaires for factors assessment were administered to environmental experts, policymakers, and the public through a survey approach as a method of primary quantitative research. Several of the findings raised concerns about current levels of public awareness of the impacts of oil spillages while others revealed doubts that the current strategies for combating oil spillage are adequate. In line with the study objectives, public education, technological advances, and regulations proved to be reliable informative predictors of awareness. The results revealed the general inadequacy of response strategies including a call to incorporate new technologies as well as adapt the response strategies to the environmental calendar of the Gulf region implying the need for a more integrated approach to managing oil spill.