Growing interest to preserve biodiversity in Kuwait - KISR

KUWAIT, Nov 10 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has been paying growing attention to preserving biodiversity and wildlife in the country which is habitat to some 374 seasonal and durable plants, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) said on Monday.
Addressing the opening session of an international symposium on wildlife plants organized by KISR for four days, the institute's Director General Naji Al-Mutairi stressed support by Kuwaiti leaders to research and development institutions as well as environment and agricultural authorities.
Researches and specialists from 35 Arab and foreign countries are taking part in the international gathering.
Thanks to directives by the country's leaders, Kuwait now has four natural reserves, topped with Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve, established on a total area of 331 square kilometers, with a wide variety of plants, Al-Mutairi told the session.
Kuwait is posed to establish five new nature reserves over the coming ten years that will cover of 1,680 square kilometers.
Al-Mutairi also referred to the new law for the protection of the environment that came into effect last October, comprising 181 articles in five chapters, the fifth of which is devoted to biodiversity.
In line with the law, the Interior Ministry will form an environment police department to follow up the application of provisions.
The KISR director highlighted Kuwait's achievement on the 2014 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), moving up by 84 ranks, from 126 to 42, among total 178 countries. The EPI is a joint project between the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University. (end) zak.abd.msa