Beyond the security and economic implications, the Houthi threat to the Red Sea may also have significant environmental consequences, which will further increase the polluting footprint of the maritime transport industry
There is no doubt that in the last few weeks the Houthis have turned from a terrorist organization that has power into a household name in Israel. As you know, the Shia-Zayidi terrorist organization that operates in northwest Yemen has threatened the Eilat area with cruise missiles - and has taken over several cargo ships in the Red Sea area, claiming (sometimes unfounded) that they have some connection to Israel or the Israelis. Following the announcement by the Houthi rebels that they will prevent the passage of any ship that makes its way to Israel through the Red Sea, The Israeli "Zim" company announced to route at least part of its cargo ships that arrive from the Eastern countries through a longer route around Africa - a move that will cause many delays in receiving shipments and imports to Israel and a significant extension of the shipping routes. It was joined by various leading companies from around the world, who also issued a similar announcement about the route extension.
However, the consequences of the Houthis' threats are not limited to the political, security and economic aspect. The change in shipping routes and the risk of damage to ships by the terrorists may also lead to significant environmental consequences, which will increase the damage and pollution caused by this industry.
"The Red Sea is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, and in particular in Israel," says Prof. Shaul Horev, founder of the Center for Maritime Policy and Strategy Research at the University of Haifa. Sailing through it significantly shortens the distance between the countries of East Asia and the countries of Europe and the Mediterranean basin: instead of a ship coming from the east encircling the entire continent of Africa - which extends the sailing time by two and a half weeks to a month - it enters the Red Sea from the south, through the Strait of Bab al- Mandav near Yemen, a road comes out of it Suez canal and reaches directly to the Mediterranean Sea, in half the time. about-20 Thousand Cargo ships cross this route every year and it is estimated that 12 percent of world trade passes through the area. "The effect of the Houthis' threats is already evident in the empty docks at the port of Eilat and shipping companies that have changed their sailing routes - which has caused a significant increase in transportation costs, the amount of fuel needed and the insurance premium on the ships that visit Israel," Horev says.
Longer sailing - more emissions
As mentioned above, beyond the security and economic implications, changing the shipping route of the cargo ships is expected to intensify the environmental damage caused by the maritime transport industry. "When a ship sails, it produces many emissions, which are released into the air and the sea," explains Rani Amir, director of the national unit for the protection of the marine environment at the Ministry of Environmental Protection. "Among other things, the ships emit carbon dioxide, and many of them also emit waste water that is discharged into the sea - in accordance with the amounts allowed in international treaties that deal with this, of which Israel is a part. As the duration of the voyage increases, the emissions potential will increase proportionally.'
The environmental damages of the shipping industry include, among other things, air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, oil pollution and the killing of marine creatures due to collisions with them (mainly sea turtles, whales and dolphins). The fuel that drives the ships' engines is compound of the most polluting derivatives of oil, such as diesel and fuel oil. About פי study Compiled by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), carbon dioxide emissions from cargo ships make up about 2.9 percent of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions in the world - an amount similar to that of an industrialized country. It is estimated that these numbers will increase by tens of percent by 2050 if no preventive actions are taken.
However, the damage caused by increasing the amount of fuel is dwarfed compared to the significant ecological danger that lies in the possibility of sinking ships in the middle of the sea - this is, of course, in addition to the obvious risk to human life and the enormous economic implications of such a scenario. Recently, the Houthis attacked a number of cargo ships suspected of being Israeli or making their way to unload goods in Israel. One of them is a British ship called "Ship number 9", which passed through the Bab al-Mandab strait - the ship was badly hit by a surface-to-sea missile and was in real danger of sinking. If the ship had sunk, this could have caused a major ecological disaster - especially due to the fact that the Red Sea is known for its rich and diverse ecosystem, which includes reefs Coral which stretch for thousands of kilometers (and reach the northern end of the sea - the Gulf of Eilat). "The Houthis fired a ballistic missile in the direction of the British ship, which was also carrying dangerous chemicals and materials," says Mord. "If the missile had hit the ship, this would have caused significant environmental damage - whether it was due to the damage to the ship's fuel tank (which could have exploded or the fuel in it would have spilled into the sea, AD), or worse - if the dangerous substances had dispersed in the water ".
You can sail differently
Is the solution to the Houthi threat actually beyond land transport? Interesting timing Has announced This week The Israeli transport and logistics company "Traknet" on the "Land Bridge" agreement to transport cargo with the help of trucks from the United Arab Emirates to the port of Haifa via Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Hanan Friedman, CEO of Traknet, claims that the land route from Asia to Israel will save about 80 percent of the travel time compared to the sea route and will streamline the process. "The security threats to international trade in the Red Sea require a safe land alternative," Friedman said in a statement.
Nevertheless, Horev does not believe that this agreement is realistic or that it will be implemented soon. "Currently there is no infrastructure at all to carry out the project due to the security and political tensions due to the war," he says. In addition, according to him, land transportation is a much less environmental solution due to the use of many trucks - and this without even thinking about the roads that are required for this. "One cargo ship can transport 20-15 thousand containers, depending on its size. Land transport requires a very large number of trucks, unloading and transportation infrastructure, fuels and regulation.'
By the way, due to the environmental pollution caused by the ships and the various ecological risks, there are already alternatives today and technological innovations are being developed in the shipping and maritime transport industry to make it more environmentally friendly and less polluting. These developments include, among other things, cargo ships that use in cleaner fuels, moving ships with electricity and even cargo ships that rely mainly on The wind in the sails.
Either way, we can only hope that the Houthi threat will soon be eradicated, that ships will once again be able to sail freely on international routes with maximum efficiency - and that we can return to moving towards a cleaner future for international shipping.
