The Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection affirmed that its participation in the world's celebrations of the International Day for the Conservation of Nature, observed on July 28, stems from its commitment to raising awareness about Kuwait's natural environment and its diverse components. Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab explained that "the Society, a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and chair of the IUCN National Standing Committee in Kuwait, calls for concerted national efforts from all governmental institutions, civil organizations, volunteer groups, and initiatives, ultimately aimed at protecting and preserving Kuwait's rich natural environment, encompassing both marine and terrestrial elements, as well as safeguarding habitats and environmentally sensitive sites." Dr. Al-Aqab stated that "the most important role of the National Committee for the Conservation of Nature is to coordinate national efforts among relevant authorities in the field of biodiversity protection and conservation." She noted that "the Committee, which includes representatives from governmental and civil society organizations, researches and discusses numerous related matters, most importantly preparations for regional nature conservation forums, in addition to key preparations for upcoming IUCN Congress meetings." She noted that “the committee includes members from the Environment Public Authority, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, and the Kuwait Water Association.” She added that Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, head of the National Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Kuwait, recently presented several proposals to IUCN President Dr. Razan Mubarak and the IUCN Regional Director for West Asia, Dr. Hani Al-Shaer. These proposals included establishing a constitution for national committees, a task to be undertaken by the head of each committee. She stated that “among the proposals was the development of internal regulations to govern the work within the committee and to attract new groups and members to the national committees.” She explained that “the proposal was well-received by officials due to its positive impact on improving the performance of national committees as an organizational step.” Al-Aqab further explained that “the Kuwait Environment Protection Society presents a series of documentaries on wildlife in Kuwait through the IUCN’s platform, as a Kuwaiti initiative in this regard. This is in addition to the distinguished international cooperation with the IUCN, through which the Society provides the IUCN with periodic status reports on national and community efforts in the field of wildlife and biodiversity.” She said that “the association, as part of its efforts in this regard, launched 8 editions of its annual program (the documentary series on wildlife in Kuwait) and highlighted the components of the living environment, such as plants, wild and marine animals, in no less than 250 high-quality television episodes from the local scope.”.
