19.02.12
Dow’s Marine Conservation Program Educates Over 2000 Students and Collects Over 9 Tonnes Of Waste

Kuwait City, 19th February 2012: Carrying forth Dow’s global core value of protecting the planet, Dow’s Marine Conservation Program successfully conducted 36 beach and island clean-ups in 2011 to protect Kuwait’s fragile marine habitats which are natural nesting grounds for migratory birds, turtles and other marine species. Engaging the collective efforts of 400 volunteers from schools, universities, non-profit groups, embassies and the wider community, Dow’s Marine Conservation Program manually collected over 9 tonnes of waste over the year across 84,000 sqm of shoreline.

Dow’s Marine Conservation Program is the lead corporate program of Al Yaal  – Kuwait’s first nationwide marine conservation initiative developed by en.v, a local organization promoting social responsibility in the Arab world. Dow Chemical is also the title sponsor of Al Yaal. “Kuwait traditionally shares an economically and culturally significant association with the sea and its many resources. As a global corporation that believes in upholding the interests and wellbeing of the communities we operate in, we’re glad to see Dow’s Marine Conservation Program forge a collaboration in 2011 between government agencies, private groups and individuals to work together”, said Jamel Attal, managing director, Dow Chemical, Kuwait. “This first-of-its-kind initiative in Kuwait holds the potential to foster a generation of citizens who are environmentally-conscious and socially responsible.”

With an emphasis on education as an agent of sustainable change, Dow’s Program visited over 10 private and public schools and universities in Kuwait in 2011 to conduct 15 one-hour interactive educational sessions on Kuwait’s marine species, the importance of conservation, responsible waste management and recycling. Reaching over 2000 students from kindergarten through grade 12, the educational tour scheduled beach clean-ups for students and staff members as a follow-up activity to reinforce experiential learning. To generate awareness about the impact of waste on marine habitats, Dow’s Marine Conservation Program participated in a number of community events including Proud to be Kuwaiti, the British Business Forum’s Introduction to Kuwait Exhibition, KEWE and AUK Volunteer Week. During Ramadan in 2011, Dow’s Program held a ‘Clean Beaches’ awareness drive along the public beaches off of the Arabian Gulf Street.

“Dow’s Marine Conservation Program engaged a wide range of non-profit and environmental groups during the course of 2011 such as the Green Target Company, Spread the Passion, Kuwait Red Crescent Society, and the Kuwait Diving Team in a collective effort to protect Kuwait’s marine life,” says Zahed Sultan, Managing Partner and CEO of en.v. “It is encouraging to see a genuine and rapidly increasing concern in the wider community for a sustained initiative that protects Kuwait’s natural marine heritage and we hope to mobilize greater and diversified participation in 2012.”

Al Yaal manually collected over 11 tonnes of waste across 42 beach and island clean-ups throughout 2011. The clean-ups were coordinated and conducted by K’S PATH - the implementation partner of Al Yaal, mobilizing volunteer participation of more than 500 individuals. With clean-ups scheduled almost every weekend in 2011, Al Yaal focused on neglected areas of high ecological importance – which are not easily accessible and hardly frequented by the public. “We selected areas rich with marine biodiversity which witness high concentration of indirect and direct man-made waste. These include Doha, Sulaibihat and Shuwaikh and the three islands of Umm Al Maradim, Kubbar and Garoh,” says K’S PATH Chairman Ayeshah Al Humaidhi. “These areas serve as nesting grounds for migratory birds, turtles and smaller marine animals whose well-being is threatened by pollution and habitat destruction. Our work in 2011, although significant, has a long way to go through sustained activities to conserve the different flora and fauna species that thrive along Kuwait Bay, particularly Doha, Sulaibikhat and Kubbar.”

Al Yaal has also successfully secured the support of the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Education, Kuwait Municipality and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. Al Yaal will continue its work at Doha and Sulaibikhat beach – home to mangroves, many migratory bird species, dragonflies and mudskippers – in early 2012.

To volunteer or participate in Al Yaal, visit:  www.alyaal.com

Follow Al Yaal on Twitter: @al_yaal

Like Al Yaal on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Al-Yaal/213697625345387

For more information, please contact:

The en.v Initiative
www.envearth.com
Tel: +965.2252.4614
Fax: +965.2252.4615