KUWAIT: Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy stated that it had prepared a water supply plan of producing approximately a billion Imperial Gallons of water by 2035. Ministry Undersecretary Eng Mutlaq Aburgubah stated, on occasion of world water day, that the Ministry is working round the clock to achieve the 2035 vision objectives, adding that the growth of residential and utility projects stipulate an increase in water demand with estimates of it reaching an average of 840 million gallons by 2035.

Celebration slogan, he remarked is “be the change you want to see in the world” serving as a reminder for people to be part of the solution rather than the cause of the water crisis. He stated that it is a national and humane responsibility to change attitude towards water consumption and management. Furthermore, he added the world water day marks an opportunity to rally behind the cause, expedite progress towards finding solutions and better managing these precious resources and ensure their sustainability.

Tackling climate change

Meanwhile, the Environment Public Authority confirmed the Kuwait’s interest in following up the climate change file at the local and international levels and tackling it through the implementation of a work program for the cultivation of plants in the country in cooperation with the GCC countries. This was stated in a speech by acting director general of the authority Samira Al Kandari during a workshop organized by the authority in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates embassy and the regional organization for the protection of the marine environment entitled “The role of the Crimean plant in reducing carbon dioxide emissions”.

Al-Kandari said that the workshop discussed one of the effective solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ways to adapt to the negative effects of global climate change, noting that Kuwait ratified the Paris climate agreement in 2016 and the Council of ministers adopted the principle of circular carbon economy to implement the state’s obligations under the agreement.

She reported that Kuwait updated its first national contribution document in 2021, which included the expansion of plant cultivation to absorb approximately two million tons of carbon dioxide by 2035. In October 2021, Kuwait joined the Middle East Green initiative, which aims to plant 40 billion trees.

Kuwait is seeking to join the Crimean Climate Alliance, which was announced on the sidelines of the 27th conference of the parties to the climate change agreement held in Sharm El-Sheikh last November as a global initiative of the UAE, she said, expressing hope that this alliance will promote the rehabilitation of mangroves, coastal zone management and conservation, as well as the exchange of knowledge in the field of scientific research.

She pointed out that the world is facing climate change, as studies indicate that more than 35 percent of the excess carbon in the atmosphere is caused by tampering with ecosystems such as the loss of forests, mangroves and vegetation cover. She pointed out that nature-based solutions are one of the pillars of combating climate change at the global level, as studies indicate that mangroves can store up to 10 times the amount of carbon per acre compared to wild forests - so they are considered plants Crimean green lung of the globe.

Al-Kandari said that Kuwait is working to translate the directives of the political leadership through the implementation of a work program for the cultivation of plants (Crimea) in cooperation with other counties in the Gulf Cooperation Council in order to complete the basic principles of the economic cycle of carbon and enhance the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

UAE Ambassador Dr Matar Al Neyadi said in a similar speech that his country is working hard to raise awareness about initiatives and actions that contribute to reducing emissions and carbon dioxide - including planting trees (mangroves) because of their storage capacity which is more than any tropical forest - in addition to their role in reviving the marine environment.

Al Nayadi stressed the importance of cooperation between the environmental authorities in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, which resulted in the planting of a hundred Crimean seedlings in Jahra Reserve in cooperation with a group of embassies, explaining that the Gulf Arab countries have made a great way in planting Crimean trees to reduce emissions.

The secretary general of the regional organization for the protection of the marine environment Dr Jassim Bishara said in a similar speech that the Crimean plant has a historical legacy in the Gulf - stressing its ability to adapt to the problems of climate change, which necessitates its rehabilitation and the development of its cultivation because of its great value on the Gulf region. - KUNA