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Here are the 10-point action plan proposed by Gulf Research Centre:
1. Environmental Decontamination and Monitoring: The conflict has left a ‘toxic legacy’ that must be fully mapped and contained before it spreads further into the ecosystem.
2. Emergency Water Infrastructure Restoration: With many Gulf states relying on desalination for up to 90 per cent of their drinking water, immediate technical repairs are critical to prevent any further deterioration or displacement.
3. Power Grid Reconnection: Desalination plants are often integrated with power facilities; reconnecting these critical national security infrastructure nodes is essential for both water and electricity.
4. Securing Emergency Reserves: Activate and protect strategic water reservoirs and aquifer recharging systems to provide a buffer for GCC cities.
5. Wastewater Management: Immediately halt the discharge of untreated wastewater into the sea to prevent further contamination of marine environments and drinking water intakes.
6. Marine Pollution Containment: Deploy emergency booms and skimmers to contain oil spills and chemical leaks in the Arabian Gulf that threaten desalination intake systems and sensitive coral ecosystems.
7. Industrial Site Stabilisation: Secure bombed industrial and chemical sites to prevent leaching of ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) and explosive compounds into urban and rural groundwater.
8. Implement Water Rationing: Rapidly deploy co-ordinated regional rationing plans, potentially reducing per capita daily use from 550 litres to an emergency level of 180 litres to stretch remaining supplies.
9. Water Access Rights: Use the ceasefire to strictly defend the international right to access water, preventing it from being used as a military objective in future escalations. Ensure ‘Water Access Rights’ in any future permanent war stop agreement.
10. Regional Co-operation: The ceasefire period should be used to fully leverage all available communication channels to call for an end to attacks on such infrastructure. Subsequently, once a permanent cessation of hostilities is agreed, regional co-operative measures can be discussed.
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