Beirut: UN's Director and Regional Representative of West Asia Office Sami Dimassi affirmed that Kuwait has a clear environmental footprint, thanks to the Kuwait Dive Team in preserving the marine environment and protecting it from ruin.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Dimassi, in a statement following Thursday's meeting with the Kuwait Dive Team and the UN's Office in Beirut, highlighted that the team's efforts reflect Kuwait's commitment to international environmental treaties and its keenness to coordinate with appropriate organizations. The meeting aimed to review the team's 2024-2025 report as part of the global Clean Seas campaign to protect the seas from plastic, and to discuss future projects related to marine environment conservation.
The report showcased outstanding environmental achievements and projects, including 130 environmental missions. Dimassi lauded the team's efforts to combat plastic waste, noting the global issue it poses to marine ecosystems. He also expressed pride in the team's recent win of the World Energy Foundation Award.
Team leader Waleed Al-Fadhel shared with KUNA that the team signed a memorandum of understanding with the office in 2018 as part of the global Clean Seas campaign. Al-Fadhel detailed the team's accomplishments, which included recovering 12 ships, boats, and a marine vessel weighing 60 tons from several locations, removing 120 tons of abandoned fishing nets and harmful waste from various coasts, and maintaining 107 marine anchorages for the safe mooring of boats and yachts to protect coral reefs.
He further mentioned ongoing campaigns to clean Kuwait's coasts and islands, as well as efforts in the installation and comprehensive maintenance of all marine moorings at reef sites. The team periodically monitors several locations in the Kuwaiti sea to ensure safe navigation and observes the condition of coral reefs in the southern islands, coasts, and reserves. They submit reports to government agencies, international organizations, the Environment Public Authority, and the Coral Watch program at the University of Queensland in Australia.
For the 10th consecutive year, the team continues to organize the weekly "Mobile Beach Cleaning Campaign" in cooperation with several bodies.