In recent years, the amount of plastic debris entering the marine environment around the world has gained increasing attention. Yet certain areas and regions remain relatively undocumented.

PAZH | Research findings on this topic within the countries adjacent to the Persian Gulf comprised of Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates are relatively sparse. Significant gaps remain regarding the precise details of the quantity, sources, and impacts of plastic marine debris as well as appropriate management responses.

Plastic marine debris (including microplastics or MPs) has been described as an ecological disaster. Most recently available statistics and estimates surrounding the levels of use and disposal are indeed alarming.

Globally, an estimated 2 billion metric tonnes of municipal solid waste were generated in 2016, and under a business-as-usual scenario this amount is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050. 11 million MT of plastic were estimated to enter the oceans globally in 2016. Of the total 6.3 billion MT of plastics ever produced, 4.9 billion tonnes have been discarded either in landfills or elsewhere in the environment and this figure is expected to increase to 12 billion tonnes by 2050 unless action is taken.

By 2050, the World Economic Forum has estimated the plastic industry will be responsible for the consumption of 20% of total oil production and 15% of the worldwide annual carbon budget. As most plastic packaging is used only once before being discarded, it is estimated that 95% of the value of plastic packaging material represents an economic loss amounting to $80–۱۲۰ billion annually. Given these figures, it is not surprising that plastics are increasingly at the center of the attention of decision-makers worldwide.

The Persian Gulf is a sea area surrounded by 8 riparian states: the Kingdom of Bahrain (Bahrain), the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), the Republic of Iraq (Iraq), the State of Kuwait (Kuwait), the Sultanate of Oman (Oman), the State of Qatar (Qatar), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia) as well as the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Although knowledge gaps exist as to the current state of plastic marine debris in the region, an estimated increase in solid plastic waste generation is expected to not only result in environmental pollution but also involve a loss of natural resources used for plastic production, posing a complex and long-term challenge for broader sustainability questions.

Despite recent efforts such as those undertaken by Lyons et al. to investigate potential environmental impacts from marine litter in the Persian Gulf (Gulf), including presenting an initial approach on how to develop and implement national and regional action plans, the region as a whole is still under-studied.

This paper takes a complimentary and additive approach synergizing legal, scientific, and engineering data and perspectives, including making a regional estimate on quantities of plastic entering the environment from mismanaged waste.

Marine plastic debris within the Persian Gulf remains a challenge because of a lack of information on the sources and distribution of plastic in the environment as well as a fragile geopolitical system among the riparian States. Finding solutions to address plastic waste in the marine environment might be a scientific common denominator that transcends these regional geopolitical tensions.

There is currently uncoordinated action in the Persian Gulf on marine plastic debris, and this synergistic article found that there are opportunities to collaborate.

It has been found that, in 2020, an estimated 1.33 Mt or 82% of the total amount of plastic waste generated was mismanaged, of which 25% likely entered the marine environment.

An overview of the scientific literature indicates that research on marine debris in the Persian Gulf has been increasing recently, but data on impacts and distribution, as well as longer-term monitoring in the Gulf, are still lacking. An initial analysis of international and regional law indicates that a patchwork regime of various legal obligations of the riparian states exists, and some treaties, agreements, and one mechanism for cooperation are already in place.

While these have had some impact, the approach to date has been piecemeal and without any collaborative strategic aims. Similar to approaches taken in other geographies, the adoption of a regional action plan is suggested.

Besides the obligations related to the implementation of international agreements, this synergistic study recommends new commitments relating to infrastructure development and monitoring, including mapping and target setting of marine plastic debris sources and distribution in the Gulf Region.