On the occasion of the silver jubilee of the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, which falls on November 6th of each year, the Kuwait Environment Protection Society called for documenting this international occasion in cultural centers, museums and national exhibitions, in order to preserve the historical memory of the State of Kuwait and its role in drawing the attention of the international community to the effects of wars and armed conflicts on the environment and natural resources, and to introduce future generations to the importance of protecting the environment as part of protecting human beings and their right to security, stability and development.
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, confirmed in a press statement today that “the passage of twenty-five years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted this day in 2001 represents an important occasion to recall the Kuwaiti role related to this issue, especially in light of the harsh experience that the State of Kuwait went through as a result of the Iraqi invasion and the extensive environmental damage that resulted from it, the most prominent of which was the burning of oil wells, oil pollution, and the damage inflicted on the terrestrial and marine environments and natural resources.”.
Dr. Al-Aqab pointed out that “documenting this experience should not be limited to records and reports, but should be transformed into permanent cultural and educational content that connects Kuwait’s environmental history with its role in supporting international efforts to protect the environment from the effects of wars.” She added that “the Chairperson of the Board, Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, accompanied by the head of the environmental engineers team and its official spokesperson, Engineer Yousef Al-Ramzi, met with the working team formed at Kuwait Oil Company responsible for the Ahmed Al-Jaber Oil and Gas Exhibition in Ahmadi. This team, comprised of team leader Najla Mubarak and members Dhari Al-Ali, Maryam Al-Haroun, and Sarah Al-Basili, met to finalize preparations and agree on the nature and details of the film material to be presented. The exhibition will be a gift to the State of Kuwait for the upcoming celebration on November 6th, as part of Kuwait’s preparations to celebrate the silver jubilee of this international event.”.
In this context, the head of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society appreciated “the approval of the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to include a special exhibit for the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflicts within the Ahmed Al-Jaber Oil and Gas Exhibition in Ahmadi,” considering “this step a pioneering initiative in documenting the occasion and highlighting its historical and environmental dimensions.”.
The exhibit will present visitors with the story of International Day for the Environment, its objectives, and Kuwait's role in raising awareness about environmental protection during wars. It will also highlight lessons learned from Kuwait's environmental experience and the global message it conveys about the dangers of targeting natural resources and the environment during conflicts. The exhibit will make the Ahmed Al-Jaber Oil and Gas Exhibition the first in Kuwait, and the first of its kind globally, to dedicate a permanent exhibit to documenting November 6th, thus giving the Kuwaiti initiative a cultural and historical dimension that transcends the annual commemoration of the occasion.
She emphasized that “choosing an exhibition linked to the history of Kuwait’s oil sector carries special significance, as oil was one of the most prominent natural resources that suffered destruction during the Iraqi invasion, and images of burning Kuwaiti oil wells became one of the most prominent global testaments to the extent of the damage that wars can inflict on the environment.” She called on “cultural and scientific institutions, museums, galleries, and visitor centers in the State of Kuwait to adopt similar initiatives, so that November 6th becomes part of the national environmental memory, and so that new generations have the opportunity to learn about the role Kuwait played in transforming the issue of environmental protection during conflicts from a painful national experience into an international message calling for the protection of natural resources and not considering the environment a silent victim of war.”.
Dr. Al-Aqab stated that “documenting Kuwaiti initiatives within national institutions represents an extension of Kuwait’s international role, and ensures that these contributions remain present in the collective memory of future generations.”.
