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Oman achieves yet another feather on its cap

By Hasan Kamoonpuri

MUSCAT — The Sultanate's decision to designate 2002 as the Second Year of Environment adds yet another feather to Oman's record of environmental protection.

The dedication of two consecutive years to environmental affairs has received rousing applause from the domestic, regional and international quarters. Indeed, it augurs well for the Sultanate because it is rich in terms of its biodiversity, geographical features, diverse natural resources and has been experiencing rapid urban industrial developments.

Socio-economic development coupled with rapid urban-industrial growth has created many environmental problems in various parts of the world in terms of the generation of huge quantities of industrial waste, toxic substances, air and water pollution, which in some cases has offset the benefits of development because of adverse impact on human health.

The Sultanate is keen to ensure that the rapid urban-industrial development taking place in Oman strikes a judicious balance between environmental protection and human dimensions of development.

During the past three decades Omani environmentalists and policy makers have given due importance to the protection and promotion of environment both at the national and regional level.

Royal Decree 34/74 issuing the Marine Pollution Control Law brought to light the Sultanate's early concern for the safety of the marine environment. Royal Decree 68/79 establishing the "council for Conservation of Environment and Prevention of Pollution" under the chairmanship of His Majesty was followed by Royal Decree 10/82 issuing the Law on Conservation of the Environment and Prevention of Pollution which "laid the practical and scientific basis for private and public practices in environmental fields". It was further strengthened by the issue of Royal Decree 45/84 establishing the Ministry of Environment as the first ministry of its kind in the Arab world.

Environmental actions during the previous Year of Environment have been very successful on several fronts. One of the indications is that within the first three months of the 2001, the Department of Information and Awareness in the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources (MRME & WR) emerged the winner of GCC Prize for Environmental Information and Awareness.

The award is well deserved because the department has brought out and distributed a whole range of booklets on interesting environmental issues for school children as well as the adults. Moreover, it organised a large number of workshops, seminars and conferences aimed at creating a better understanding about environmental sanitation, protection and promotion and cogently stressed the need to live in harmony with the natural environment.

Furthermore, the ministry's Central Laboratory, which was significantly refurbished and upgraded, was rated as one of the best in the region following the fifth regional and international inter-calibration exercise.

Similarly, the remarkable progress made in the Sultanate following its Coastal Zone Management Programme, was duly recognised and was selected as the model by the seven-member Regional Organisation for the Protection of Marine Environment (ROPME) for its Integrated Coastal Areas Management (ICAM) plan.

ROPME is an important organisation and Oman's selection as a model for this regional body speaks volumes for the effectiveness of Oman's National Coastal Zone Management Programme, which seeks to revive, protect and promote the coastal environment in its entire 1,700 km-long coastline and offshore islands.

As a part of this programme, the ministry has also recently launched the ambitious Coral Reef Management Plan and its Coral Clean-up Operations are a regular and extensive exercise undertaken from time to time for preserving, protecting and promoting the corals, underwater scenery, and seafloor.

The Coral Reef Management Plan (CRMP) aims at ensuring sustainable use of coral reefs and their resources. Some of the coral reef areas in Oman are so unique and spectacular that they deserve Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site Status by the Unesco, something that can substantially boost nature tourism in Oman, according to the plan.

The Sultanate's main aim of designating the two years of environment is to stress the importance of linking environmental protection and human dimensions of development with a view to promoting sustainable development and to demonstrated its unswerving commitment to environmental issues.

The Sultanate has been committed to the protection and promotion of the environment ever since the beginning of its Renaissance three decades ago and is seriously involved in translating to country-level the global commitments on environmental protection. The designation of a second Year of Environment — 2002 represents Oman's keen desire to protect the integrity of its environment. Ali bin Amer al Kiyumi, Director General of Nature Conservation at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources, said in the last two decades, the Sultanate had achieved an unparalleled record on environmental protection.

More significantly, the preparation of the National Coastal Zone Management Programme, the National Conservation Strategy, and the National Coral Reef Management Plan have been important milestones in national conservation efforts. Similarly, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan-2000, establishment of a mangrove nursery at Qurum Nature Park-2001, and now the designation of 2002 as the Second Year of Environment are other important examples in this regard. The Sultanate played an active role in the first-ever 40-day oceanographic research investigation in the ROPME Sea Area (RSA) from 23 July to 3 September 2001.

The cruise, with several Omani, Iranian and other marine scientists on board, examined physical, chemical, biological and geological characteristics of RSA. The cruise collected samples from more than 100 stations, including 12 sites in Omani waters. This oceanographic research investigation was important because all the 40 marine scientists on board were from the regional countries and the samples were also sent to regional labs for study. Earlier, two oceanographic cruises were carried out by the US and Japan in 1992 and 1994 respectively.

The Year of Environment resulted in the completion of management plans for Oman's 13 National Nature Reserves (NNR). Having completed environmental management plans for three NNRs, namely Dimaniyat Islands, Ras Al Hadd and Oryx Sanctuary, the ministry recently finished similar plans for the remaining 10 NNRs, according to Ali bin Amer al Kiyumi. The plans, which includes zoning of the area, stationing trained staff on the sites, and listing of prohibited activities with a view to precluding environmental damage to these rare and precious sites, will now cover As Saleel Nature Park, Jebel Samhan Nature Reserve, and 8 Khawrs Reserves of the Dhofar Coast.

Protected areas, holding an important place in national and world environmental heritage, are crucial for conserving biodiversity and for promoting nature tourism. Many countries in the Gulf have declared extensive systems of protected areas, and are continuing to develop and expand them. Oman, however, stands out as a unique place in this regard for it is full of natural beauty and environmental assets. A study done by World Conservation Union (IUCN) has identified 64 important sites in Oman that deserve to be granted the status of nature reserve!

Oman has always occupied a respectable position among the nations concerned with environmental issues. The Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources has doubled its efforts towards creating a climate for public and private organisations to utilise and conserve natural resources in a manner that ensures a balance between the development policies of the Sultanate and safety of its environment. Keeping in mind the significance of environmental legislation for effective management and conservation of environment, The Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources, revised various national environmental laws.

It also took an active part in the regional and international drafting or reviewing of conventions on the various aspects of environment. For example, the Sultanate played a frontline role in the enactment of environmental laws in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) States, particularly in developing a unified standard for dealing with air, marine and terrestrial environment. A guideline was prepared on how to deal with environmental data bases from GCC States. Regulations for handling clinical wastes and management of radio-active materials in the region have also been unified under the regional arrangement.

At the meeting of ROPME, the Sultanate contributed to the drafting of several decisions on the protection of regional marine environment from various sources of pollution. The most important issue in this regard being discharge of waste from ships. At the international level, the Sultanate actively contributed to the development of a number of far-reaching conventions and protocols relating to different environmental issues. Prominent among them are: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, The Persistent Organic Pollutants Convention and the Convention on Biodiversity.

The ministry redrafted the law on Conservation of the Environment and Prevention of Pollution issued by Royal Decree No 10/82. In order to control quarry operations in the Sultanate, regulations were issued regarding crushers, quarries and sand mining on the coasts, beaches and wadis.

Oman Observer, 5/6 March 2002