SULTANATE MARKS OMAN ENVIRONMENT DAY

Citizens and residents alike found different ways to mark Oman Environment Day yesterday. Educational trips for children, rewards for innovative projects that could help preserve nature, sapling plantation drives, and the release of turtles into their habitat figured in efforts to protect the unique natural beauty of the Sultanate.

To mark Oman Environment Day, a group of students from the United Private Schools visited the Qurum Nature Reserve to learn more about wildlife and observe various species of birds.

As a part of the trip, the students also visited the ministry building and were given a talk on the different species of trees. They were told about various initiatives that could conserve trees and were taught to identify trees and plants native to the Omani landscape.

The programme also included briefing students on renewable energy and scientific projects related to the production of clean energy, and its role in the reduction of emissions, and how it could mitigate global warming.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, in cooperation with the Petroleum Development Oman, announced the results of a competition to promote innovations that help preserve the environment.

The collaborative programme was to award the best environmental initiative. It was aimed at highlighting the role of companies in preserving the environment and promoting collective responsibility toward environmental issues.

The Oman Cement Company won first place, while Hawader won the second prize for its contribution to clean engineering, and Nafath bagged the third prize for the production of renewable energy.

Turtles released

The government-owned Oman LNG did its part by rescuing and releasing over 60,000 sea turtles. “There is no place like home. Over 60,000 small turtles have been rescued and returned safely to the sea with the support of 70 plus volunteers in an Oman LNG-sponsored campaign in collaboration with the Directorate of Environment and Climate Affairs in South Sharqiyah,” the official Oman LNG handle tweeted.

Saplings planted

In the lead up to Oman Environment Day, many sapling plantation drives were conducted to prevent desertification in the Sultanate.

In one such drive, as many as 150 people participated, and 600 saplings were planted in Wadi Al Ansab at Wilayat Bausher, in a bid to restore the ecological balance in Oman.

The Green Valley initiative in the Sultanate aims to save the various valleys from desertification by restoring the natural and ecological balance by planting Omani wild trees.

The participants were divided into 10 working groups that distributed trees across different locations in Wadi Al Ansab, where they were educated and trained on the correct scientific methods of planting trees and cleared litter from the valley.

“Addressing environmental issues is the responsibility of everyone. This requires greater efforts to involve local communities in all sectors and instil positive environmental protection practices,” Saif bin Rashid Al Shaqsi, executive director of the National Field Research Centre, said.

The “Green Valley” initiative was a practical idea to restore the vitality of the valleys and maximise the environmental, humanitarian, tourism and economic roles to benefit every life form.

He stressed that the Green Valley initiative is a community programme involving 19 parties.

The initiative boasts the involvement of more than 150 participants from various government and private institutions, civil society organisations, universities, colleges, school students, and the local community of Bausher.

The preservation effort will continue across many valleys in the various governorates of the Sultanate.