KUWAIT CITY, Sept 21: Head of the Municipal Council's Environmental Affairs Committee Alia Al-Farisi said Kuwait is divided into areas that are considered in the extreme range of exposure to fine encroaching sand (Safi) such as in Salmi and Wafra, areas considered in the medium range of exposure to shifting sand such as Kazema and Abdali, and areas with light exposure.

In a press statement issued on the sidelines of a workshop titled “Soft encroaching sand” regarding shifting sand, the challenges, prevention and solutions, which was organized by the committee yesterday, Al-Farisi explained that intensifying vegetation cover scientifically, and implementing sustainable methods on the sides of roads and facilities exposed to shifting sand to stabilize the soil is one of the solutions. Agriculture is considered a necessary solution to this phenomenon, despite its challenges.

The committee recommended the necessity of having an implementing agency that leads the process of preventing and getting rid of the shifting sand phenomenon through scientifically sound, effective, sustainable and coordinated methods in light of the readiness of the agencies and the intensity of the experience of each party individually and its issuance of feasible solutions.

She highlighted some examples such as the experience in auctions presented with the Ministry of Finance, which considers this sand as a treasure, as well as the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), which has research and proven scientific solutions such as nanotechnology. They are ready to implement it in Sabah Al-Ahmad area to reduce the phenomenon of shifting sand, due to which the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) reported that it faces the problem of handing over land to be able to cultivate it.

She revealed that the committee adopted an important recommendation following the workshop, which is to place warning signs on roads exposed to soft encroaching sand or shifting sand as a security method to educate motorists about not speeding in order to preserve their lives, in addition to the role of the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Information, and Kuwait Meteorological Center in alerting citizens and residents about the locations of the shifting sand and in issuing warning accordingly.

In turn, a member of the Architectural Environment Affairs Committee Sharifa Al-Shalfan said, “During the workshop, we learned about the experiences of government agencies participating in dealing with the shifting sand, especially the experience of KISR for the solutions that were implemented in Iraq to reduce the impact of dust-laden winds on the environment.

It begins with diagnosing the problem and then developing a national plan in coordination with the relevant authorities and cooperating with specialists to develop scientific and practical solutions, supported by a specific budget and an executive action plan to deal with the effects of the current phenomenon on the streets and areas, and radical and environmental solutions to reduce this problem in the future."

The committee realized the importance of assigning an executive body in the country to develop a strategic national plan aimed at reducing the negative impact of dust-laden winds on the environment, and protecting lives and public health, as well as developing long-term solutions to address the shifting sand phenomenon in the country.

In addition, a member of the Environmental Affairs Committee Abdullah Al-Enezi said, “We suffer from many problems, and the government is not serious about solving many of these problems, including the shifting sand problem.”

He highlighted the mistakes of successive governments that delayed in developing solutions to many problems despite the presence of solutions to them by many government agencies, the most important of which is afforestation.

Al-Enezi called for the formation of a committee based on a decision of the Council of Ministers to address the shifting sand problem, adding that this committee would study the problem from all aspects and develop solutions for it, which are to be implemented within a specific period of time.

He said the workshop revealed that the delay in resolving the shifting sand phenomenon is linked to the lack of the financial budget of the relevant government agencies, stressing the need for the committee formed by the Council of Ministers to specialize in this matter.

It is worth mentioning that the workshop was attended by representatives of the Environment Public Authority, the Ministry of Public Works, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Oil, the Directorate General for Civil Aviation, the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

By Enas Awadh
Al-Seyassah Staff