KUWAIT: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) yesterday hosted a symposium on the environmental problems in Ali Sabah Al-Salem Area (formerly known as Umm Al-Haiman). The symposium, entitled "Air Quality in Ali Sabah Al-Salem: The Present Situation and Desired Future,' was sponsored by the KISR's Director-General Dr. Naji Mohammad Al-Mutairi. In his address to the gathering, Dr. Al-Mutairi said that the institute attaches great importance to all issues of great concern to Kuwait, particularly to environmental issues. "The KISR develops research on, and outlines solutions for, environment pollution in order to minimize their negative impact through taking practical steps," he said.

On the subjects under discussion at the event, he explained, "The symposium is focusing on four main topics, namely scientific research and technical reports on the environmental landscape in the area, the industrial activity, the impact of changes in air quality on human health, and the cooperation among the concerned departments.

Dr. al-Mutairi continued, "The KISR has adopted a range of measures in collaboration with the Environment Public Authority [EPA], the Supreme Environment Council [SEC], Kuwait University [KU] and the National Assembly [parliament] to address this problem," adding that these joint efforts are ongoing.

The chairman of the parliamentary committee on environmental affairs MP Dr. Ali Al-Omair, meanwhile, called for more efforts from all the concerned state bodies to improve the quality of the environment nationwide. "The studies, conducted by the KISR, EPA and KU raised the alarm against environmental pollution in Ali Sabah Al-Salem and other areas of the country," Dr. Al-Omair pointed out, adding, "The level of chemical pollution in that area is very high which highlights the need to redouble efforts in th
is regard.

Dr. Saleh Al-Moudhi, the Director General of the EPA, said that the cabinet has already adopted a package of 14 measures to improve the environment in the area. "The measures include the formation of a panel tasked with developing a vision for launching new industrial zones and a panel for launching a fund to verify industrial firms' commitment to complying with environment safety guidelines," he said.

The government has ordered a ban on the establishment of any new factories which could pose environmental risks to the Western Su'aiba Area and [introduced a regulation] compelling all current industrial firms to develop environmental monitoring programs," Dr. Al-Moudhi continued.

Meanwhile, the Director of KISR's Environment and Urban Development Department, Dr. Dhari Nasser Al-Ajmi, said the residential area of Ali Sabah Al-Salem is not the only part of the country suffering from high levels of concentrated pollution. "The KISR mobilized its resources to detect pollution countrywide." Dr. Al-Ajmi revealed, continuing, "A total of 603 samples of pollutants were taken from the area in question and analyzed while some 64 compounds were sent abroad for future analysis.

Citing Ministry of Health tests conducted in the area, Dr. Al-Ajmi revealed, "The environmental load in the Ali Sabah Al-Salem area resulted from the emissions from the factories there which proved to be cancerous." He went on: "As part of the efforts to compel the factories to meet the environmental safety guidelines, the government is following a five-stage method starting with drawing the attention of their owners [to the violations], withholding benefits offered by the state partially or totally, issuing an order for administrative suspension, and then withdrawing the licenses.

Dr. Al-Ajmi explained, "The government is booking firms for environment irregularities on a daily basis; a total of 143 lawbreaking factories have been booked so far while 34 others have been warned. Four factories in Al-Shuhaiba Industrial Area were closed down and another was administratively suspended, while 90 factories under construction were Booked.

Engineer Mohammad Al-Foudari, the Director of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation's (KPC) Health and Environment Safety Division, said that the corporation is doing its utmost to meet local and international environmental safety standards. "Kuwait Oil Company [KOC], one of KPC's subsidiaries, has made a great

breakthrough this year in handling the liquid, gas and solid pollutants in the southern areas of the country," he revealed, adding, "Earlier this year, KOC and the EPA signed an agreement to combat air pollution and reduce gas emissions." As a result of this, he explained, "the company managed to cut down the burning of the oil-associated gas to just 2.6 percent, well below the target of 3.4 percent. We hope to bring the percentage to less than one percent in the coming two years.

Dr. Ali Al-Shatti, the Director of the Ministry of Health's (MoH) Occupational Health Division, affirmed the effectiveness of the government's recent measures in addressing the pollution problem of Ali Sabah Al-Salem. "The recent health survey conducted in the area showed that there are no health hazards in the area at present," said Dr. Al-Shatti, further revealing that the MoH "is conducting a new study on the health situation in the area in collaboration with the World Health Organization." - Kuwait Times