An agreement was signed by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Kuwait Environment Public Authority (KEPA) to start performing specialist environmental evaluation of Kuwait Waters. The contract was signed in London in April. This agreement stemmed from a long standing relationship with Kuwait, which dates back to the 1980s, as well as a good track record of delivering to clients in the areas of the Middle East. The agreement requests Cefas to assess and evaluate the environmental situation in Kuwait’s marine and costal areas, since they’ve been impacted by residual waste from industry and sewage.
Dr. Mike Waldock, Cefas’ Chief Executive, is very pleased with this relationship agreement since he esteems KEPA very much. He also believes that due to Cefas expertise, previous assessment and work in the field, these are in fact the perfect candidates for such a project. In fact, Cefas is more than happy to offer its knowledge, expertise and resources so that Kuwait can diminish the aftermath of local pollution on its people and environment. One must realize that most of Kuwait’s urban population resides along the southern coastline of Kuwait Bay, hence, this contamination is impacting the residents at first hand. Furthermore, one must also remember that such contamination in these same waters has happened in the past already.
Ms. Katherine Kennedy, Coastal and Marine Infrastructure Director and Project leader, has said that the greatest challenge for them is going to be to locate the “footprint of the impact”. She also added that seasonal differences and sediment or water transport will be key factors to enable this identification. However, Cefas has all the required resources to make this work possible. Finally, Ms. Katherine Kennedy said that by working with Kuwait scientist, they hope to enrich their knowledge base as well as equip KEPA with the right resources and information to approach this problem in the best and most feasible manner possible, should such environmental issues arise once more in the future.
For more information about Cefas and its activities please consult their website: http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/
