In a speech delivered on behalf of Interior Minister Sheikh Thamer Ali Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah during the ceremony honoring the series documenting wildlife in Kuwait, which was held by the Kuwait Environment Protection Society on Monday evening, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Public Security Sector Affairs, Major General Faraj Al-Zoubi, highlighted the importance of environmental partnership as a societal responsibility in preserving Kuwait’s environment and wildlife.
Major General Al-Zoubi explained that the partnership between the society and the ministry is covered by a cooperation protocol that contributed to the success of the program, which helped spread awareness and culture of environmental law. He pointed out that the cooperation between the two parties was through the use of expertise, the exchange of environmental information, and the strengthening of capabilities to form an integrated information base with an interconnected environmental relationship.
He stated that the Ministry of Interior provides all means and logistical support and full protection to all teams working in monitoring the components of wildlife and facilitating and simplifying procedures in all border areas and those under its jurisdiction. He added that the Kuwait Environment Protection Society has a role in disseminating information on all the various environmental aspects in its cultural programs, which reflects on environmental security and the interest of the political leadership in this field. He pointed out that the Ministry, with all its relevant sectors, is considered one of the most prominent environmental partners of the Society, as it provides them with protection and contributes to spreading media awareness.
In her speech, Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, affirmed that the Society’s partners in protecting the environment, which are 17 governmental bodies, community organizations and private companies, participated diligently to work on behalf of the Society for the sake of Kuwait, noting that “this ceremony came to honor a group of national elites who contributed to enriching the circles of cooperation between many ministries and governmental institutions, civil society, the private sector and elites of citizens who are experts and historians of national heritages concerned with the authenticity and components of wildlife in Kuwait.”.
Dr. Al-Aqab added, “For seven consecutive years, for five months each year, the team faced weather and natural difficulties and obstacles in order to broadcast the documentary program on wildlife in Kuwait in the best possible way, and for the visual environmental library to become a beacon of science, culture, knowledge, and civilization shining with these sustainable works that embrace, with the highest levels of quality and efficiency, our Kuwaiti environment and its natural components.”.
For his part, Mr. Abdul Amir Al-Jazaf, Vice President of the Society, said, “The program’s team included distinguished and specialized members from the Society’s teams and committees at the Environmental Media and Documentation Center and the Wildlife Protection Committee, in addition to distinguished members from the Society and its partners from national bodies and institutions. The team worked annually for 5 months to complete the stages of monitoring, documentation and field photography at a rate of 8 continuous hours for each monitoring operation in any of the places that the Society specified to complete the documentation operations in them, with a timetable of two to three consecutive days per week and in various weather and changing climatic conditions.”.
M. Al-Jazaf stated, ”This series, over seven years, included about 190 television episodes that, through about 1500 minutes, presented the most important and prominent components of wildlife, the subject of each season. The total hours of work in preparing and completing these programs exceeded 60 to 80 field trips for monitoring, documentation, and external filming for each of these programs, in addition to the internal working hours in the Environmental Documentation and Media Center of the Society.”.
In her speech, Ward Al-Bakr, a representative of the series' team, pointed out that the support and encouragement of the Ministry of Interior had a positive impact on the young volunteers and the team, noting that the society also had a major and constructive role in providing an opportunity to reveal what wildlife contains, expressing her thanks to all government agencies and institutions, civil bodies and the private sector for their contributions and facilitation of tasks.
Ward Al-Bakr noted that the last season of the series, the program (Every Day Yal 2), coincided with the spread of the Corona pandemic and the accompanying closures, total or partial lockdowns, and precautionary measures, which placed new difficulties on the work team. In addition, filming the episodes was governed by the conditions abroad, such as issuing permits, different meeting points, and delays due to some circumstances and bad weather conditions that may disrupt filming, such as rain, wind, and dust. She added that the series' work team includes specialists in marine wildlife and a scientific review team, and it was supervised by academics specializing in marine sciences. She explained that the documentation team consists of photographers and members from several teams in the society to benefit from their monitoring expertise.
Episode duration
Each episode of the television series ranged from 8 to 10 minutes in length, and included a scientifically rich and informative presentation about the elements and components of wildlife in the location and region of the episode. Each episode included a visual presentation of their natural habitats and the relationship of some of them to Kuwaiti heritage, as well as a historical narrative and description of those areas and their importance in Kuwaiti heritage.
Environmental Excellence Award
The Environment Society launched the award in 2016, and awarded its first medal to His Excellency the former Minister of Information, Sheikh Salman Al-Hamoud Al-Sabah, and then awarded it to the former Minister of Public Works, Dr. Ali Al-Omair, and Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Badr (may God have mercy on him), the former head of the Committee for Following Up on Security Decisions, and a group of leaders. During the ceremony, the Society awarded a group of leaders who contributed to the completion of the series, and their number reached 5 medals and appreciation shields.
Shield of Excellence
Seven distinguished shields were awarded by the Environment Society to leaders within the framework of the Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of their cooperation and partnerships with the series' work team, whether through security approvals, accompanying the team, participating with personnel from their entities in the submission, or contributing information and providing some equipment and machinery.
Chain shield
(A series of documentary programs documenting wildlife in the State of Kuwait)
The society awarded 23 shields to its partners in environmental protection from government agencies, civil society organizations and private sector companies, the stars of social responsibility.
Certificates of Appreciation
119 certificates of thanks and appreciation were presented by the Kuwait Environment Protection Society to the national cadres who contributed to the Every Day Camping 2 and Every Day Yal 2 programs, representatives of the General Staff of the Ministry of Interior (Environmental Police, Coast Guard, Land Borders, Security Decisions Follow-up Committee, Public Relations and Security Media) who participated with their expertise and time in supporting the programs, documentation and monitoring, as well as the General Fire Force, students of the Marine Sciences Club at Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, the Public Authority for the Environment, the Environment Protection Fund and Kuwait Municipality.
Wildlife Documentation Team
28 honorees from the series' team members who are responsible for the various tasks in the two programs, such as general supervision, preparation, directing, editing, presentation, legal or scientific review, field or marine drone photography, diving, logistical support, photographic documentation, car cameras, and bird monitoring, in addition to the episode guests from academia and historians. .
