By Ghadeer Ghloum
KUWAIT: A two-day waste management forum opened on Monday with the aim to achieve Kuwait's 2035 vision, which necessitates finding alternatives to waste, recycling and energy transition. Under the auspices of Minister of Public Works and Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Amani Bugammaz, the Gulf Waste Management and Recycling Forum (Gulf -WMFR) on green hydrogen and energy transition is held under the slogan "Sustainable investment for a green Middle East".
The conference also seeks to set Kuwait on track for 2035 by improving and providing new solutions for waste management and recycling, improving the techniques of energy transition for sustainability, keeping up with the latest strategies and highlighting digital transformation in Kuwait and other GCC countries.
During the conference, Bugammaz said in order to achieve good cooperation among the parties in GCC countries, all partners must exchange knowledge and practical experiences and activate strategies and practical plans to avoid climate challenges, as this is one of the conference's main goals. This can be achieved through managing sustainability projects and applying advanced techniques and supporting alternatives to waste, recycling and energy transition for a green Middle East.
Bugammaz said environment pollution caused by industrial waste constitutes a global crisis, because it is a main source of spreading noxious gases such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. This necessitates the responsible parties to monitor pollution rates and put forward solutions, such as encouraging recycling and activating strict regulations on industries and other entities to reduce the spread of toxic emissions.
The techniques of managing waste contributed to providing sustainability in many countries and producing many transformative industries such as paper, plastic, glass, wood, and other materials, which helped in reducing the usage of energy sources such as oil and other nonrenewable sources. Bugammaz also mentioned that this will provide new job opportunities and reduce health issues.
General Manager of the Environment Public Authority Samira Al-Kandari said that it is necessary to find alternatives to manage waste and raise awareness among the public about the environment. The aim of this conference is to confirm the necessity of encouraging recycling. She said Kuwait, besides other GCC countries, is activating its strategies in the first quarter of this year to protect the planet and realize its 2035 vision.