Impact of gravel quarrying on the desert environment of Kuwait

The quarrying sites in the northern part of the Kuwaiti desert comprise about 2.29% of the country's total area, which covers 17,818 km(2). The population dynamic and socioeconomic transformation increased the demand for local gravel, which is deposited in thin layers (i.e., 1 to 10 m depth). The annually expected demand for gravel is about 3.3 million m(3). Housing projects, road construction, and commercial and industrials projects consume about 33, 24.5, and 3.5% of the total demand for gravel, respectively. The following environmental damages caused by irrational gravel quarrying are preliminarily investigated: rupture of lag cover, soil displacement, landscape disruption, vegetation deterioration, soil compaction, and dust fallout. Radarsat images, aerial photographs, and field measurements show that soil compaction and landscape disruption are the most significant mechanisms of land degradation. The infiltration capacity of the compacted soils has decreased to one-third in comparison with uncompacted (unaffected) soils. Overexploitation of gravel resources and intensive off-road vehicles resulted in severe immediate and long-term environmental damage.