Kuwaiti scientists study ‘minimizing’ climate adverse impact on agriculture
No oil spills in Kuwait Bay: EPA
VIENNA, Oct 11, (KUNA): Kuwaiti researchers have taken part in scientific projects in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Austria, focusing on methods to develop agriculture in Kuwait despite climatic challenges
Dr Habiba Al-Mnai’ from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) indicated in an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that she and other Kuwaiti scientists had been involved in applying techniques to enhance quality of fodder and using atomic processes for management of irrigation systems.
Kuwait largely depends on agricultural imports due to domestic climatic difficulties, namely high heat, scarcity of rain and fertile soil.
These projects, she explains, aim to enhance agricultural production and minimize adverse impact of factors such as the harsh weather and high salinity in the sand on plants’ growing.
Seeds have been brought from Kuwait and exposed to Gamma radiation, she says, indicating that the work aims at extracting the DNA from some shrubs, as part of the bids to make plants withstand the harsh climate in Kuwait.
Abdullah Al-Shatti, another Kuwaiti scientist, has presented a scientific project, using nuclear applications to measure humidity in soil and nitrogen proportions to ration fodders’ consumption.
Kuwait is partaking with ten scientific projects with the IAEA for 2018-2019.
Some of them are designed to ensure effective usage of water for crops, utilize underground water, monitor spread of toxic mushrooms as well as hazardous radiation.
Meanwhile, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) has underlined that no oil spills were detected in Kuwait Bay along beaches and coastlines near the Doha beach resort.
After the circulation of social media reports about an oil spill, the EPA dispatched teams to survey the area.
The endeavor, which involved satellite imaging and the surveying of the area, was carried out with the help of the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.
The surveys did not spot any oil spills in the area, it affirmed.
Additionally, a separate survey conducted in coordination with the Ministry of Electricity and Water found no traces of oil at water station entrances and exits in the area.