In celebration of World Oceans Day and as a continuation of its local and international activities for World Environment Day, the Kuwait Environment Protection Society participated in the scientific symposium “Marine Environment: Achievements and Challenges,” which was organized over two days by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research in cooperation with the Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Center from June 9-10. The Society presented a specialized scientific lecture and a specialized scientific exhibition that included scientific publications and marine environmental projects by the Society’s Friends of the Environment team. In addition, it presented visual presentations of television episodes from the documentary series on wildlife in Kuwait, especially the programs “Every Day a Fish” in its first and second parts and “Every Day a Fish,” as well as distributing electronic tablets “digital bookmarks” for all episodes of the series and the Environment Magazine.
During his lecture on the future of marine research in Kuwaiti waters, which he delivered at the scientific symposium “Marine Environment: Achievements and Challenges”, Dr. Munaf Behbehani, Chairman of the Wildlife Protection Committee at the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, stressed “the lack of clarity regarding the future of marine research”, due to the fact that marine environment research is not considered among the components of national development.
Dr. Munaf explained that “there are several excellent facilities and equipment for conducting scientific research at sea, such as modern research vessels and well-equipped laboratories; however, these facilities are not fully utilized, and the financial resources to operate them completely are not available.” He attributed this to “the absence of a national plan for marine research.”.
Dr. Munaf emphasized that “the future vision and national policy for marine sciences in the State of Kuwait will only be distinguished by the establishment of a joint committee among scientific institutions concerned with the marine environment.” He explained that “among the tasks of this committee is the development of a national plan for the future of research in Kuwaiti waters and coordination between scientific centers and funding bodies to expedite project completion, reduce duplication, and lower costs.” Among the proposals presented by Dr. Munaf Behbehani was “the necessity of establishing a national marine specimen preservation center due to the importance of preserving marine samples as reference materials for future studies.”.
Dr. Behbehani presented proposals for several future projects in Kuwait's marine environment, including a study of the environmental situation in the Khiran marine area following the alteration of its natural habitat. He also proposed a study on the impact of desalination plants on marine life in Kuwait's waters, as well as a comprehensive environmental study of Warbah and Bubiyan Islands to update existing scientific data.
To learn more about marine wildlife, Dr. Munaf Behbehani suggested several areas for future research, including jellyfish, plankton, and groups of difficult-to-classify mollusks. He added, “There is a lack of information on sponges and sharks, making these excellent research projects, especially for master's and doctoral students.”.
