Author(s): Thue Geil; David Mcgrath; Kasper Kaergaard; Aisling Clifford
Linked Author(s): David McGrath, Aisling Clifford, Thue Noehr Geil
Keywords: Daptive Planning Ecosystem-based Solutions NbS Numerical Modelling data-based decision support Sensitive Habitats
Abstract: In 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) commenced implementation of diversifying its national economy following a long-term strategy referred to as Vision 2030. A key tenet of Vision 2030 is to substantially increase the volume of non-pilgrimage tourists travelling to KSA. The development of key destinations along KSA’s Red Sea coastline was identified as a key driver that would allow for this objective to be realized. To facilitate this vision, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), now Red Sea Global (RSG), was established in 2018 by KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), with a remit to develop The Red Sea tourism destination. RSG aims to develop luxury tourism and residential facilities based predominantly around the archipelago of islands within a natural lagoon referred to as the Al Wajh Bank and beyond. The Al Wajh Lagoon is a large coastal lagoon along the shores of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. The lagoon supports a high-quality marine and coastal environment with widespread coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangrove forests. The archipelago of 92 islands supports regionally significant aggregations of breeding birds and nesting sea turtles. Prior to the start of development, the primary stressor on the system was overfishing from the artisanal Saudi fishing fleet. Construction projects on the scale of the Red Sea Project have inherent environmental impacts. Through implementation of an environmental design approach predicated on the application of the mitigation hierarchy, RSG seeks to identify environmental risks at the very start of the design process and employ a structured, iterative planning approach throughout design development to eliminate and, where unfeasible, minimize and offset environmental impacts to biodiversity. Typical risks to coastal biodiversity include direct loss or fragmentation of habitats, degradation of habitats as a result of mobilization of sediment plumes from spill during the construction phase, potential algal blooms from nutrients released from dredging, blocking of currents leading to reduced water exchange and increases in water temperature. Avoidance or minimizing these impacts is crucial for tourist destinations. RSG has established itself as a regenerative developer with a remit to protect and enhance local biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services that nature provides. Working in close collaboration, DHI and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) support RSG by providing science-based guidance underpinned by site-specific surveys and application of high-quality hydrodynamic models. To ensure robust decisions are made during all phases of the planning and construction of the projects, a 3D hydrodynamic model in MIKE 3 FM (DHI A/S, 2024) has been developed and is continuously updated with new information each time a new development is being planned in the lagoon. Furthermore, baseline environmental data is being collected and analyzed to understand the nature and quality of the marine environment around the planned developments and more widely. The baseline surveys include physical environmental measurements and diverse ecological and ecotoxicological surveys focusing on both marine and terrestrial environments. The combined information from the baseline surveys and the hydrodynamic modelling is used during all stages of the project, i. e. Pre-concept masterplan, Concept masterplan, detailed design, construction and operation phases. Our presentation will showcase two examples of how the detailed 3D hydrodynamic modelling and sediment plume modelling was used to drive decisions for planning and construction of several destinations. The examples include: - Optimization of a pre-concept masterplan for nature positive outcomes (placement of a marina and artificial islands, protection of mangrove habitat, approach to beach design, optimizing desalination outfall locations) - Optimization of a fixed link between the mainland and an offshore island DHI/KAUST, together with RSG, have established an ecosystem-based approach to shorefront development to the benefit of the environment and the development.
Year: 2025