KUWAIT CITY, Dec 9: Trees along the streets continue to die without solutions, resulting in the wastage of public funds spent on planting these trees, reports Al-Qabas daily. The failure to take care of the trees reflects the negligence of the concerned entities in terms of maintaining the aesthetic view and landscapes along the streets despite the capability of the State to do so. The daily continues to monitor the death of trees in several parts of the country, especially those along Gulf Street, where palm trees are either dead or dry due to weevils gnawing on them.

This indicates that the concerned entities no longer take care of the trees. Environmental activists warned against the continuous negligence of vegetation, stressing that the latest international agreements obligate Kuwait to focus on vegetation and lay down a feasible plan for greening to address the climate change issue and reduce harmful emissions. They pointed out that other Gulf countries have succeeded in implementing their greening plans, in contrast to what is happening in Kuwait, where there is clear negligence of crops and vegetation.

The activists emphasized the importance of paying attention to greening in a desert country like Kuwait; considering it is beneficial to the environment in general and contributes to lowering temperatures and dust in particular. They affirmed that trees are good for the health and the general view of the State; hence, the need to plant trees compatible with the climate in the country, instead of planting trees that could not withstand the summer heat and die quickly.

Environmental activist Sa’ad Al-Hayyan warned that the absence of a greening plan in the country could exacerbate the environmental problems. He said the international agreements that Kuwait signed recently obligate it to pay attention to vegetation and take care of trees. He added: “The green cover is necessary to improve the quality of life and reduce harmful emissions while maintaining the aesthetic view along the street. The Environment Public Authority (EPA) and the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) must perform their role efficiently and a permanent greening plan must be laid down.”