KUWAIT, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- A committee met for the first time on Thursday to discuss reports of environmental impacts on Qaruh Island leading to the Kuwaiti island's extreme erosion and the upsetting of its ecosystem.
The report based on the observations and in-depth analysis of divers at the Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) was presented to a committee tasked with the matter, according to the Environment Public Authority acting Deputy Director-General for Technical Affairs Mohammed Al-Enezi.
A number of proposals were adopted at the meeting, namely on the need to declare as open natural reserves Kuwait's three southern islands - Qaruh, Umm Al-Maradim and Kubbar - according to authorizations that assure their environmental sustainability, on hand, and their feasibility for tourism on the other.
Meanwhile, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and Kuwait University have both been assigned to carry out further environmental consultations and research on the reasons behind the island's erosion and ways to address these concerns.
The EPA has also called to assign coast guards with the right to apply penalties on the grounds of environmental exploitation on these islands.
For expert advice on the matter, the EPA has also brought on board the services of a British expert on oceanography in order to arrange outside support for the local bodies tasked with the efforts. (end) zak.sd KUNA 101849 Oct 13NNNN