KISR Chief: Kuwait partners with IAEA to combat plastic pollution

KUWAIT, Nov 27 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Director General Dr. Faisal Al-Hamidan highlighted Kuwait's active role in addressing plastic pollution through its participation in the High-Level International Forum on Nuclear Technologies for Controlling Plastic Pollution, held in the Philippines.
Speaking after the Manila forum on November 25-26, Dr. Al-Hamidan said Kuwait's engagement underscores its commitment to global environmental challenges, with KISR leading research initiatives and establishing international standards to monitor and understand microplastic pollution in oceans, soil, and air.
He emphasized that KISR scientists, through pioneering projects and strategic collaborations, have developed unified protocols with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), now adopted in more than 75 countries to measure and mitigate microplastics, positioning Kuwait as a key partner in the IAEA's NUTEC Plastics initiative.
Dr. Al-Hamidan noted that KISR produced certified reference materials shared with the IAEA for global laboratory validation, supporting inter-laboratory comparisons across 55 countries to enhance the accuracy of measurements that inform international policy decisions on plastic pollution.
He stressed that KISR's contributions go beyond national environmental protection and food security, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and noted that KISR's microplastic detection and quantification protocols are now used widely across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Highlighting the institute's research impact, Dr. Al-Hamidan said KISR has published more than 26 major papers in leading international journals over the past five years, widely cited by the scientific community and reinforcing Kuwait's reputation as a center of excellence in microplastics research.
He also praised the support of Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission to the UN in Vienna, and Kuwait's Embassy in the Philippines, led by Ambassador Mishari Al-Nibari, for their prompt coordination and backing of the Kuwaiti delegation at the forum. (end) oys.ahm