Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, announced her participation, virtually, in the meeting of the Regional Advisory Group for North Africa and West Asia of the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR), noting that the Advisory Group includes civil society organizations from 13 Arab countries, and the Society enjoys membership in that Advisory Group in addition to membership in the Global Network of GNDR.
Dr. Al-Aqab, President of the Association and Regional Advisor to the International Network of Civil Society Organizations, explained that “the meeting of the Advisory Group of Civil Society Organizations, which includes organizations from (Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Mauritania), addressed the presentation of the group’s new strategy. In addition, as President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, she explained the roles and tasks of the National Committee of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR-KUW) in the field of crisis management. She also presented several efforts and activities undertaken by the Kuwaiti Association for Crisis and Emergency Management and the Kuwaiti Association for Protection from Fire Hazards, both of which are members of the International Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction.”.
She added: “The meeting witnessed the presentation of several successful experiences in the countries represented by civil organizations related to the Regional Advisory Group for North Africa and West Asia of the Global Network GNDR, in addition to the group members discussing aspects of their activities in the field of disaster risk reduction, whether they presented their activities locally and nationally or participated and engaged regionally and internationally in conferences, forums and workshops.”.
She stated that she “reviewed the work of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society in this regard during the last three years, as well as encouraging the participation of Kuwaiti civil organizations and obtaining prior approvals before the Kuwaiti Society for Crisis and Emergency Management and the Kuwaiti Society for Protection from Fire Hazards joined the GNDR International Network.” She noted that she presented the efforts of the “Crisis and Emergency Management” Society by reviewing the (Zahib) initiative and discussed its provision of training courses and workshops. She also presented some of what the Kuwaiti Society for Protection from Fire Hazards offers and introduced their annual conference and awareness courses, in addition to discussing the future programs and plans of the two societies.”.
During the meeting, Dr. Al-Aqab discussed the integration of the efforts of the “National Committee for Civil Society Organizations to Reduce Disaster Risks” and the association through cooperation in many related activities and projects. The National Committee works to contribute to the development of national strategies and plans for civil society to reduce disaster risks, while the association contributes to environmental awareness and the implementation of programs related to reducing environmental risks resulting from disasters.
She explained, “The Environment Society regularly and annually carries out many events and activities related to reducing disaster risks. At the national level, it provides environmental awareness, as it implements awareness programs for the public about the importance of preserving the environment and reducing potential environmental risks, such as the risks of floods, desertification and pollution. It also participates in developing the plans and programs adopted by the National Committee of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction, by providing its expertise and proposals in the field of the environment.”.
She announced that “the Kuwait Environment Protection Society cooperates with many governmental and community bodies in implementing projects aimed at reducing the risks of environmental disasters, such as afforestation and desertification control projects. The Society implements specialized training programs in the field of the environment, and offers them to volunteers and those working in the field of disaster risk reduction.”.
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab presented examples and success models of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society in this regard, including the “Symposium on Reducing Flood Risks,” which was in 2019 when Kuwait experienced a rainy year, where a symposium was organized on reducing flood risks in Kuwait, on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. The symposium included a study on the geomorphological and environmental effects of floods.” She added: “The Society implements awareness programs through various media outlets, to spread awareness about environmental risks and how to deal with them.”.
The association also participates in national committees specializing in disaster risk reduction. It is worth mentioning that the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) is the largest international network of civil society organizations working to enhance the resilience of communities most at risk of disasters. Member organizations communicate and cooperate with each other, benefit from capacity-building opportunities, implement global projects, and participate in research and advocacy initiatives. The network has 1,965 member organizations from approximately 131 countries and 161 regional representatives to the international organization.
