Cooperation between Kuwait, Britain on coastal environment rehabilitation vital

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Protecting marine environment a global challenge: Davenport

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 12: The British Ambassador to Kuwait Michael Davenport stressed that protecting the marine environment is a global challenge that requires coordinated action at the international level, expressing his happiness that the Environment Public Authority (EPA) in Kuwait and the Marine Science Agency of the British Government are working together to deal with this important issue in Kuwait.

In a statement issued by the British embassy yesterday, Ambassador Davenport added, “The safety of coastal areas will support the ecosystems which are essential for the reproduction of many types of fish and other marine organisms, and that supporting, rehabilitating and preserving the coastal environment will be an important tool in the efforts made to address the impacts of change.”

Rehabilitate
The British envoy pointed out that the embassy recently hosted a virtual seminar to hear details about the efforts made by the EPA to rehabilitate the marine environment, as representatives of the French and Italian embassies, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) attended this event. He noted, “Such solutions based on nature will be at the top of the priorities of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be hosted by Glasgow, Britain, in 2021.”

The British embassy statement indicated that, “To strengthen the close relations between the Marine Science Center of the British Government and the Environment Public Authority in Kuwait in the field of marine environment, a joint research paper between the center and the authority has been published in one of the international journals specialized in marine sciences.

“The focus has been in that paper on the status of environmental diversity in the marine environment surrounding Kuwait, where the paper highlighted the importance of maintaining the safety and productivity of the seas, which are vital to food and water security while providing a unique coastal environment that helps reduce the effects of climate change.”

Challenges
The statement added, “The Environment Public Authority is working with the British Maritime Science Center to deal with the challenges of managing the marine environment. Dr. Brett Lyons, a marine scientist at the British Marine Science Center, indicated that the coastline and the waters surrounding Kuwait are of great importance as an economic resource through industries such as fishing, fish, tourism and recreational activities.”

He added, “The seas around Kuwait contain a unique mix of ecosystems, plants and animals, such as the continental shelf, turtles and some endangered species of sharks.” Dr. Brett Lyons indicated that the Gulf is currently facing a double crisis related to climate and environmental diversity with the temperature of sea water rising more than the global average.

He also mentioned that the data collected through this joint work will contribute to Kuwait’s reports related to the United Nations sustainable development goals and that the publication of these The paper in a specialized international magazine shows that Kuwait is working on developing a maritime surveillance program that meets international requirements. Deputy Director of the Environment Public Authority, Dr. Abdullah Al-Zaidan said that the Kuwaiti marine environment is very vital to the economy, culture and prosperity, and that Kuwait is currently facing many environmental challenges that require better monitoring and management of the marine environment.

By Shawqi Mahmoud Al-Seyassah Staff

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