The Kuwait Environment Public Authority (EPA) signed Thursday an agreement with the UK's Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) for implementing the Environmental Monitoring Information System of Kuwait Marine Life (eMiskMarine) project. As per the four-year partnership agreement, CEFAS will conduct a comprehensive survey to evaluate the environmental status of Kuwait's waters and living marine resources.
The scientific information collected on Kuwait's marine environment will support sustainable marine management in Kuwait.
In statements on the sideline of the signing ceremony, held in Kuwait Thursday, EPA's Director of Environmental Inspection Affairs Mohammad Al-Ahmad said that the agreement is meant to be part of a series of deals signed with national, regional and international organizations to build a comprehensive accurate and credible database about the environment situation in Kuwait through the Environmental Monitoring Information System of Kuwait (eMisk). For her part, Head of the Environment Inspection, Monitoring & Emergencies Office at the EPA Abeer Al-Ebri said that the agreement signals a "quantum leap" in the environment protection efforts in Kuwait.
The eMiskMarine project benefits from CEFAS' broad capability in applying marine science in support of Government, bringing together expert scientists and technologists in biodiversity, pollution, oceanography, coastal dynamics and environmental informatics who will work in Kuwait and the UK over the next four years.
The first stage of the project is to establish the marine environmental data needs of a wide range of Kuwaiti government departments and public bodies to ensure that the marine environmental database developed during the project provides benefit to all of Kuwait beyond the requirements of EPA.
"The UK Government is committed to sharing our environmental knowledge and expertise across the world. I look forward to seeing CEFAS build on this important new partnership in Kuwait, bringing its world class marine science and technology to help safeguard our shared global environment," Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for farming, food and marine environment George Eustice said.
CEFAS' Chief Executive, Dr Mike Waldock lauded the partnership agreement with EPA.
"This new contract is a strong and clear vote of confidence in CEFAS' world-leading marine and aquatic science. It builds on our long-term commitment to EPA and the marine environment in Kuwait and the Middle East," he stated.
"We are delighted to continue working with our esteemed colleagues at EPA, sharing our collective expertise and knowledge for the benefit of communities and the environment in Kuwait and the wider region." The eMISKMarine contract follows the signing of a 15 year Memorandum of Understanding between CEFAS and KEPA that was signed in September, as well as the opening of CEFAS' new permanent base in Kuwait, staffed by CEFAS scientists.
The eMISK is initiated by EPA with aims to establish, build and maintain a comprehensive geo-environmental database of Kuwait along with an enterprise level GIS system for access, update and analysis of the environmental data.
The GIS is a geographic information system that integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.