Muscat,(ONA) he National Field Research Centre for Environmental Conservation at the Diwan of Royal Court issued the fifty-fourth issue of “Al-Washaq” bulletin in electronic format.
The new issue, which was published in both Arabic and English, included many important topics, including a column of point of view by Dr. Dawood bin Sulaiman Al Balushi, Editor of the bulletin entitled “The Earth Breathes”, during which he talked about the conflict the world is experiencing with the emerging coronavirus (Covid-19).
He said that most recent reports of many international environmental organizations indicate that the environment during the past months has recovered to better positive levels and for the first time in history the ozone hole is closing over the North and South Arctic. He also indicated that the air quality has improved in 733 cities around the world and the deer has gone out to roam the streets of London, and migratory birds returned to occupy (Agua Dulce) beach in Peru and Paris residents saw ducks roaming the streets. He also said that in Venice, residents saw small fish under the water, and a pelican appeared swimming in lakes, and in New Delhi, monkeys wandered freely in the human-free streets.
Al-Baloushi adds that how much a curse is blessed with grace, saying that this small virus that destroyed human beings came to teach us valuable lessons in daily life. It came to tell us that the power of God Almighty is above man’s ability and it came to open a new page in our minds in our dealings with the environment, nature and living organisms.
“Al-Washaq” Bulletin in its main topics touched about the interest of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taymur in the environment, where the topic came under the title “Sultan Qaboos and the environment” during which a lot of information was mentioned about the late Sultan’s interest in this sector and the attendant appreciation from many countries and organizations.
“Al-Washaq” said that the images of the interest of the late Sultan Qaboos were varied in preserving and protecting the environment. He enacted many laws and the Sultanate signed during his era many agreements and protocols for international cooperation for his belief - as he stated in one of his speeches – “that preserving the environment is a collective responsibility that is not bounded by the political borders of states.”
In the other major topic, “Al-Washaq” Bulletin discussed the issue of sheep skins under the heading “Sheep skins ... one of the wealthiest recourses in the landfill.” The issue dealt with the damage caused by the random throwing of the carcass waste and how our ancestors used the leather to manufacture their daily needs, which is a cultural heritage that must be returned and developed.
The bulletin indicated that the number of livestock including cows, goats, camels and sheep in the Sultanate exceeds about 3.6 million. It is estimated that the engineering landfills received more than 20,000 tonnes of the carcass and municipal waste during Eid Al-Fitr, and therefore if the optimum exploitation of the leather is used, it will achieve great economic returns and solve a problem that affects the environment.
Among the other major topics, Al-Washaq Bulletin touched on the follow-up of His Excellency the Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs, of the developments of the National Urban Development Project. The bulletin also talked about the corona pandemic with a topic entitled “corona”, the subject of “antelope”, the topic of “cloud brightness” and the topic of “lack of oxygen in ocean waters”. It also included some news related to the environment from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and other Arab countries and the world.