Bahrain Environment - 2024

Environment - current issues

desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs); lowered water table leaves aquifers vulnerable to saline contamination; desalinization provides some 90% of the country's freshwater

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Climate

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Land use

agricultural land: 11.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 5.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.7% (2018 est.)

other: 88% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 89.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 51.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 31.69 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 15.47 megatons (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 951,943 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 76,155 tons (2012 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 8% (2012 est.)

Major aquifers

Arabian Aquifer System

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 280 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources

120 million cubic meters (2020 est.)