KUWAIT: Environmental awakening can largely be dated back to the middle of the past century, when the Greek capital Athens hosted the fourth conference of the International Congress of Modern Architecture (CIAM), proclaiming the Athens Charter for cohabitation between cities and nature. The charter, published by the French architect Le Corbusier in the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution and the two great wars, set the fundamentals for harmony between basic human needs and urban planning - the latest of which is based on greenery.

Since then, there has been a chain of initiatives to cope with the unprecedented environmental challenges and salvage humanity from the impact of the deteriorating nature. States around the globe have been holding annual conferences since 1995 to draw up plans for saving the environment from deterioration, soaring heat and pollution. In this respect, Kuwait is among the top advocates of sustainable urban development friendly to the environment, expanding greenery, stemming desertification, and tapering off repercussions of climatic change resulting from the planet’s overheating.

Kuwait has repeatedly affirmed its unwavering commitment to international, regional, and Gulf resolutions and initiatives, cooperating with the United Nations and its agencies regarding diverse initiatives to protect the environment. The “sustainable living environment,” in New Kuwait vision 2035, is a priority to secure the sustainability of the Kuwaiti climate - through which it also seeks to honor its international obligations at this level. For sake of a sustainable “green future,” Kuwait has executed several projects and plans to beautify plots of land, boost planting, and set up natural reserves.

It believes “carbon neutrality,” to be attained during the middle of the current century, will be quite helpful in the efforts to preserve the environment and create opportunities to launch mega economic projects. Kuwait declared, during the second edition of the Green Middle East Initiative Summit, held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022, its full commitment to the initiative as a watershed for the region at the climatic level and a basis for regional cooperation in fighting the ramifications of the climate change.

Kuwaiti governments have put the environment among their priorities, seeking to limit pollution on the land, in the air, and at sea. The 2024-2025 annual development plan on rationalizing natural resources and setting up harmony between urban regions and nature aims at cutting contamination, improving citizens’ quality of life, and building green cities equipped with smart technology. The strategy’s fourth structural scheme (2040) also aims at constructing green buildings. Kuwait Council of Green Buildings, launched in 2009, seeks to secure a sustainable environment.

The Environment Public Authority (EPA) has embarked on various tasks in this regard, importing new beautifying plants and expanding the public green patches. Its plans also aim to stem sand movement and desertification and beautify the country with plants that can withstand severe weather conditions. Public parks are a major component of the greening tasks.

According to statistics declared by the EPA last year, the number of gardens reached 179 with a space of 2,695,993 square meters and 462,142 trees. EPA had planted 2,120,200 trees, and patches covered with flowers are estimated at 285,109 sq m. The number of planted palm trees amounted to 125,942. Moreover, it has begun since 2018 to plant mangroves that can absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide. Authorities have allotted huge budgets for beautifying the country, and private associations have been taking part in these efforts too. — KUNA