Environment Day to be celebrated on Monday

Muscat: The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, will mark the Omani Environment Day, which falls on January 8 each year and comes on the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, reflecting the great role played by the Sultanate in preserving and caring for the environment.
The Sultanate’s celebration comes in support of the efforts to protect the natural resources and their participation in the global efforts to preserve the environment resources, in addition to celebrating the Sultanate’s environmental developments at the local and global levels in the field of environmental preservation and confirming the participation of the community and governmental and private institutions in providing such preservation and conservation of natural resources.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs strives to raise the awareness of all groups of society and to take responsibility in order to instil the right environmental education in accordance with Omani customs and traditions.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs will hold a programme to celebrate the occasion under the patronage of Sheikh Salim bin Oufit Al Shanfari, Head of Dhofar Municipality.
The governorate was chosen for its important role in supporting efforts to preserve the environment in all governorates.
The event will include two films about the sustainable development and biodiversity of the Sultanate, as well as a presentation of an operetta with urban, rural, urban, desert and marine performances dealing with environmental issues, such as overfishing, desertification and environmental and maritime pollution.
An environmental exhibition will be launched with the participation of 12 government and private sectors entities and a number of youth initiatives.
The second day will include an environment seminar under the auspices of Najeeb bin Ali Al Rowas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment at the Sultan Qaboos Cultural and Entertainment Complex in Salalah.
On the sidelines of the seminar, an environment competition for children will be held in one of the commercial malls in the Governorate of Dhofar to raise awareness and stimulate environmental awareness.
The programme will ensure the clean-up of beaches and coral reefs in the Wilayat of Mirbat on January 15, with the participation of the Royal Oman Police, the Municipality, the Civil Defence, diving clubs, voluntary teams and civil society. The Ministry will, in cooperation with the national team’s centres, conduct a campaign to cultivate wild and local plants on January 22, which is part of the efforts to mitigate desertification. — ONA