Bahrain’s environment protection policies highlighted

Under the patronage of the Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Dr. Joma’a Ahmed Al Ka’abi, the Chairman of the Kingdom’s delegation to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), the “Towards a Green Bahrain” book, prepared to highlight the kingdom’s efforts to implement the green policies and initiatives, was inaugurated. In a statement marking the occasion, Dr. Al Ka’abi said that inaugurating the book on the sidelines of Rio+20 aims to bring to light the kingdom’s efforts to achieve the goals of the conference. Al Ka’abi pointed out that the 16-chapter book, compiled by 15 national experts, focused on a number of issues, including the projects carried out so far to protect the environment, as well as the future steps to preserve national natural resources, adding that demographic issues, sustainable development of resources, climate change, protection of the Ozone layer, resources management, bio-diversity, land-based activities, combating pollution, waste management, desertification , green energy and sustainable buildings. He also asserted that that the book will be a valuable reference for decision-makers, ecologists, scientists, academicians and all those concerned and will provide them information on the efforts exerted by the kingdom to protect the environment and natural resources. Dr. Al Ka’abi also affirmed that the kingdom has given top priority to environment protection and preservation of natural resources in all its development activities, as outlined in the Constitution, National Action Charter, the Economic Vision for Bahrain, 2030, the National Strategy and the National Strategic Master plan and the Bahrain's National Environmental Strategy. He also said that the kingdom has honoured many of its national, regional and global commitments through enacting major legislations to ensure their implementation, adding that Bahrain has ratified many regional and global environment-related agreements and conventions, including the Kuwait Regional Convention for Cooperation on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution, Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution Resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil, Protocol for the Protection of the Marine Environment against Pollution, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants. He also updated the attending delegations on the kingdom’s future policies, prepared in accordance with the Economic Vision for Bahrain, 2030 which, he said, covers different development fields such as employment, education, health services, social care and environment protection.