By Khalid Al-Daihani (with photos)
LONDON, May 1 (KUNA) -- The UK and Kuwait signed an 800,000-pound accord designed to rehabiliate the Kuwaiti marine environment.
The agreement was signed by Director General of Kuwait's Public Authority for Environment, Dr. Saleh Al-Mudhi and the Chief Executive of the UK Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Dr. Mike Waldock, late on Tuesday.
Dr. Al-Mudhi told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after the signing at Kuwait Embassy, London, that this 18-month agreement is a starting point of a bigger project of a comprehensive survey of the Kuwaiti marine environment.
He added the agreement also includes training and training of national cadres to supervise the rehabilitation of the affected areas and to participate in research studies.
Dr. Al-Mudhi said this cooperation is an extension of an earlier collaboration between the Public Authority for Environment in Kuwait and CEFAS, which began in 2001 during the famous incident of thousands of fish dying in Kuwait caused by "red tide".
He also referred to the negative effects on the marine environment in Kuwait during the previous two years, especially the Mishref plant and the daily dispose of approximately 200,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage for two years into the marine environment.
He said a specialized scientific policy should have been implemented to assess the destruction and pollution, and set scientific solutions; therefore this agreement comes to enable joint cooperation in this field.
Dr. Al-Mudhi said that Kuwait will benefit from this agreement to assess side effects resulting from the Mishref plant disaster on the marine environment, in addition to other incidents that affected the Kuwaiti marine life and beaches.
CEFAS will provide necessary expertise required to carry out needed studies, determine effects, assess damage and develop methods to rehabilitate the marine environment, Dr. Al-Mudhi said.
He added that this agreement is the first phase of the Kuwaiti marine environment damage re-evaluation caused by the Mishref plant disaster, adding that the second phase will be with the same center to conduct a comprehensive survey on the marine environment and to supply Kuwait with information needed, especially for marine life like kinds of fish and fungi existing.
Dr. Al-Mudhi said that Kuwait is the first Gulf state to do this type of survey, hoping that Gulf countries would follow in the footsteps and cooperate with international centers to conduct a comprehensive survey to receive all data necessary for a healthy marine environment.
He explained that Kuwait has all the details and accurate information on its wildlife and air pollution, while lacking some information about marine life.
After the signing, Al-Mudhi exchanged with the Chief Executive of CEFAS gifts, in addition to presenting a gift to the Kuwaiti embassy in London, received by Advisor Faisal Al-Houli on behalf of the Ambassador Khalid Al-Duwaisan, in appreciation for the embassy's efforts in organizing such agreements. (end) kd.asa KUNA 011213 May 13NNNN