References 
Beaman, M (Ed) 1986. Turkey: Bird Report 1976-1981. Sandgrouse 8: 1-41. 
Collar, NJ and Andrew, P 1988. Birds to Watch; the ICBP World Checklist of 
Threatened Birds. ICBP, Cambridge. 
Hanap, S and Martins, RP 1986. Turkish Bird Report 1982-1986. Sandgrouse 11: 
1-41. 
Jonathan Eames, 17 Brookside Drive, Oadby, Leicester LE2 4PB, UK 
News and Information 
Compiled by Simon Albrecht 
Theaim of this section is to inform our readers about events in the OSME region. It is not 
intended as a definitive report or write up of the projects concerned. Most of the projects 
are sponsored; such support is appreciated, but is not generally acknowledged here. 
The Gulf 
Fires out 
Many of the oil wells set on fire during 
the Gulf war have already been 
extinguished, and a British team, the 
last to join the international effort, will 
fly out on 15 October to help. Suleiman 
Muttawa, the Emir of Kuwait's special 
envoy, said on BBC Radio's Today 
programme on 2 October 1991 that all 
the oil well fires would be out by 
January 1992. We can only hope that 
work on the other environmental 
problems starts soon. 
Atmospheric pollution 
The Guardian newspaper on 2 August 
reported the extent of atmospheric 
pollution resulting from the oil well 
fires in the Gulf. Smoke was reported 
2,400 km from buring wells, with 
temperature distortions noted up to 
1,000 km away. It was covering an area 
of 15,000 km^ and rising to 5,000 m. 
We can only guess at the effects on 
wildlife. The breakdown by country 
was as follows: 
Kuwait Smoke cloud at desest; animals 
reported dying in desert; inhabitants 
reporting asthma attacks, increased 
lung disease and skin complaints; 
regional temperatures reported to be 
10-15°C below normal. 
Iraq Black rain; fear of reduced growing 
season; particle fall-out and rise in 
water acidity affecting crops and forests 
expected. 
Saudi Arabia Reports of smoke and 
black rain; changes in regional 
temperatures south to Riyadh. 
Gulf states Reports of smoke and 
increased air pollution. 
Iran Black rain reported from early 
March in Dexful in north and Kernan, 
Shiraz, Genavah and Bushehr in south; 
smoke in Lut desert; fears for growing 
season; soot dumped in mountains and 
washed into water supplies; threat to 
2.5 million hectares of semi-arid forest 
along Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. 
Afghanistan Black rain and smoke 
reported. 
Pakistan Black rain in Balochistan in 
April. 
India Late March, skiers in Himalayas, 
3,000 km from Kuwait, reported black 
snow 5 cm thick in Kashmir, giving 
rise to fear of floods due to premature 
melting. 
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