Historic Coastal Morphological Landscape Characterization & Assessment (HCMLC&A) to Understand the Coastal Evolution in the State of Kuwait

The Arabian Gulf has seen a lot of coastal development along its shores since the discovery of oil and rise in oil based economy. Kuwait too, for the last five decades (from 1960s), has seen a tremendous alteration of the coastal morphological landscape (CML) from what existed 50 years ago. The study shows that the physiognomy of the coastal landscape created by geological, geomorphologic, biological factors and coastal process was greatly shaped by oil based development. This tremendous change in coastal edge from natural morphology to build up morphology was brought about due to coastal migration, construction, private and public establishments, landscaping, coastal fronts, man-made beaches, ports, marine facilities for petroleum industries, power stations, distillation plants, coastal defensive structures, beach houses, structures of hospitality, etc. Remarkably it is interesting to note that till 2011 certain zone of coast in Kuwait showed priority in encroaching and occupying more than any other parts. These coastal areas have reached to a saturation level thus tempting and forcing humans to invade the virgin coastal areas which were untouched earlier. These limited natural coastal resource areas in Kuwait hold high significance values. The Master Plan of Kuwait show promising coastal land use but it does not seem to protect significantly the valuable natural CML of Kuwait which is seen in this study. Historic Coastal Morphological Landscape Characterization & Assessment (HCMLC&A) represent a new way of historically characterizing the landscape and understanding the coastal evolution.