Future Perfect

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nvironment

air

water

oceans

climate

change

conservation and efficiency, water recycling and

treatment and recharging groundwater aquifers

• Establishing the Green Buildings concept and

technology in Kuwait

• Reducing GHG emissions in accordance with the

Copenhagen Accord evolved from the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Examples of national goals recently achieved or expected to

be accomplished in the near future are summarized below.

Zero discharge of industrial wastewater

Between 2003 and 2008, around 1,200 million gallons

a year of IWW were dumped illegally by factories from

several industrial areas in four operating municipal

solid waste (MSW) landfill sites and one closed landfill

(Al-Wafra in the south-west). Around 4 million tons

of MSW are received annually.

To address this, the

following measures were taken in 2007-2011.

Treating all IWW illegally dumped in landfills

In 2009 the National TRIO Committee rehabilitated

Al-Wafra Road Landfill to receive all IWW illegally dumped

in landfills for treatment. In 2010, the committee commis-

sioned Al-Wafra Emergency Treatment Plant to treat large

quantities of IWWdumped in landfills; the plant is designed

to receive 15,000 cubic metres of IWW a day.

Treating IWW in industrial installations

Between 2006 and 2009, the Kuwait Public Authority for

Industry (KPAI) issued three directives urging all factories

An Executive Bylaw (known as Decision 210/2001) was issued

including environmental regulations and standards,

and the

new Environmental Law of Kuwait was submitted for approval

to the Kuwaiti Parliament. The Agenda 21 Programme has been

implemented, covering Kuwait’s most important achievements in

sustainable development.

In addition, the Environmental Strategy

of the State of Kuwait

was established, and 14 major international

agreements were ratified between 1992 and 2006. Almost 80 per

cent of these agreements have been implemented through KEPA

environmental laws, regulations and standards and through national

action plans and programmes.

KEPA has collaborated with relevant Kuwaiti governmental organi-

zations and academic and research institutes to set new strategies and

policies with the aim of achieving the following national goals:

• Reducing and, where feasible, eliminating atmospheric

emissions and release of pollutants to water and land through

environmental compliance of all industries. This is backed

by online monitoring programmes linked to a GIS-based

Environmental Monitoring Centre in KEPA, and enhanced by

action plans to establish a National Emission Inventory and

build emergency and central industrial wastewater (IWW)

treatment plants

• Transferring knowledge to remediate soils and land areas heavily

contaminated with crude oil, and rehabilitate marine areas

heavily impacted with large untreated industrial and sewage

water discharges

• Encouraging private sector investment in areas related to

environment protection, such as the rehabilitation of old

landfills and contaminated soils

• Encouraging public and private sector research and investment

in areas related to renewable energy source development, water

Possible sources of air pollution to Umm Al-Hayman residential area (Opsis 1-3:

KEPA air monitoring stations)

Image: Al-Mudhhi, S.M. (2011)

Map showing oil fields and areas contaminated with oil lakes in Kuwait

Image: Based on Al-Sarawi, M., Massoud, M.S. & Al-Abdali, F. (1988)