ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW

By ANTHONY SMITH

1 AN ENVIRONMENT DISCOVERED 1 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 EARLY EUROPEAN EXPLORERS 1 3 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 1 4 TWENTIETH CENTURY EXPLORERS 2 THE KINGDOM 2 1 INTRODUCTION 2 2 MAIN PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS 2 3 A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME 2 4 THE MODERN KINGDOM – GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES 3 GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK 3 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 BRIEF GEOLOGICAL HISTORY 3 3 REGIONAL GEOLOGY 3 4 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY CONTENTS 4 CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE 4 1 INTRODUCTION 4 2 SYNOPTIC CLIMATOLOGY AND SEASONS 4 3 AIR TEMPERATURE 4 4 ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY AND EVAPORATION 4 5 PRECIPITATION 4 6 GLOBAL RADIATION AND SUNSHINE 4 7 WINDS 4 8 CLIMATIC REGIONS 4 9 QUATERNARY CLIMATIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE 5 HYDROGEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY 5 1 INTRODUCTION 5 2 THE DRAINAGE NET 5 3 SURFACE RUNOFF 5 4 DAMS 5 5 LAKES 5 6 SPRINGS 5 7 GROUNDWATER 5 8 AQUIFER WATER QUALITY 5 9 AQUIFER RECHARGE 5 10 WATER EXTRACTION FOR IRRIGATION 5 11 URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND GROUNDWATER 5 12 WATER HARVESTING IN URBAN AREAS 6 GEOMORPHOLOGY 6 1 INTRODUCTION 6 2 WEATHERING 6 3 DENUDATION HISTORY 6 4 TERTIARY DRAINAGE DEVELOPMENT 6 5 DEEP WEATHERING AND STRIPPING 6 6 INSELBERGS 6 7 PEDIMENT DEVELOPMENT AND GRAVEL PLAINS 6 8 ALLUVIAL FANS 6 9 SAND DESERTS AND DUNES 6 10 WIND EROSION 6 11 KARST 6 12 VOLCANIC LANDFORMS 6 13 ESCARPMENTS AND CUESTAS 6 14 QUATERNARY SEA LEVEL CHANGE 6 15 LOESSIC ALLUVIAL SILTS 7 BIOGEOGRAPHY 7 1 INTRODUCTION 7 2 THE FAUNA 7 3 THE FLORA 7 4 VEGETATION 8 SOILS AND SOIL EROSION 8 1 INTRODUCTION 8 2 ENTISOLS 8 3 INCEPTISOLS 8 4 ARIDISOLS 8 5 SOIL MAP ASSOCIATIONS 8 6 SOIL MINERALOGY 8 7 PALAEOSOLS 8 8 SOIL EROSION 9 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND HAZARDS 9 1 INTRODUCTION 9 2 GEOHAZARDS 9 3 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS 9 4 INDUSTRIAL HAZARDS 9 5 SOIL SALINIZATION AND IRRIGATION 9 6 DESERTIFICATION 9 7 GULF WAR HAZARDS 10 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, REGULATION AND POLICY 10 1 INTRODUCTION 10 2 ISLAM AND THE ENVIRONMENT 10 3 THE LEGAL BACKGROUND 10 4 METEOROLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADMINISTRATION (MEPA) 10 5 THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE 10 6 NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (NCWCD) 10 7 TRADITIONAL LAND MANAGEMENT – HIMA (SOMETIMES HEMA) 10 8 ECO- AND GEOTOURISM