Kuwait's EPA opens Jahra Nature Reserve, public visits will start Wed.

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- The Environment Public Authority (EPA) celebrated Tuesday the official opening of Jahra Nature Reserve to the public, with visits to start from tomorrow, Wednesday, as reservations can be made through EPA's official website.
The Chairman and Director General of EPA Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah said in a press statement that this is the first ecotourism project in Kuwait to be opened to receive visitors with the aim of increasing environmental awareness and appreciating the landscape.
The visit will be for an hour and a half, during which the public relations team from EPA will guide visitors and take them on a tour inside the reserve, he added.
The reserve took several years to be made by EPA and the Ministry of Public Works, which supplied the reserve with water, he explained.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director General of Technical Affairs at EPA Dr. Abdullah Al-Zaidan said in a press statement that the opening of the reserve coincided with the global events of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reserve is one of the important sites for migratory birds, as it contains about 400 species, in addition to the greater spotted eagle, which visits the reserve annually and spends a period of 4-10 months there, he pointed out.
EPA has many studies and projects with volunteer teams, including Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, where tracking devices have recently encountered eagles, including the greater spotted eagle, as Kuwait currently has the largest number of them, he said.
This eagle is endangered and is being tracked by EPA to implement international agreements regarding endangered birds, he pointed out.
He confirmed an increase of protected areas to reach 15 percent of the total area of the country, indicating that the reserve amounts to 3.4 square kilometers, while the expansion to the south and north of the reserve reaches 18 square kilometers. (end) zak.lr