WEST ASIA
BAHRAIN
Wide media coverage (mainly by newspapers)
of national and international environmental events on the occasion. The
Regional Director read the statements of the UN Secretary-General and of
the UNEP Executive Director on national and satellite television channels
in both English and Arabic.
IRAN
The United Nations Information Center
(UNIC) in Tehran, in cooperation with the Tehran University Center for
Graduate International Studies, celebrated World Environment Day with a
great turnout of people. As has been the case for the past 10 years, this
yearís celebration coincided with the 10th anniversary of the death of
Imam Khomeini. Papers touching on "current environmental situations within
Iran" and the "UN role in dealing with global environmental problems" were
presented. WED received wide media coverage throughout the country.
IRAQ
The Environment Protection & Improvement
(EP&I) Department organized an exhibition to promote environmental
awareness. The exhibition included posters, booklets and national and international
publications. There was special focus on protecting workers in the work
environment. The Minister of Health, Dr. Omeed Medhat Mubarak, opened the
exhibition.
The Radiation Protection Center celebrated"Protection
from Radiation Week" which occurs throughout the first week of June. The
Center organized a training course on "Radiation ? Usage, Effects
and Means of Protection" for people who work in the field.
Environmental articles were prepared
and published in local newspapers and magazines. Wide media coverage on
the WED celebrations was received in the region.
The EP&I department and Iraqís
General Youth association organized a discussion forum in Baghdad.
"The Role of Youth in Protecting the Environment". The Forum concentrated
on how the media can raise environmental awareness in young people. Baghdad
also organized an exhibition of childrenís environmental art.
In Babel, the EP&I department held
an environmental exhibition for childrenís art and photographs. EP&I
also organized, in collaboration with Researchers from the University of
Basraís Marine Department, a symposium in Basra on the "Environment of
Shatt Al-Arab River".
In Najaf a symposium was organized
by EP&I and Iraqís General Womenís Association on the concept of environment,
technologies used to purify and sterilize water, and recycling solid waste.
In Al-Muthana a symposium was held
on WED celebrations and the role of international and humanitarian organizations
in protecting the environment and creating public awareness.
In Wasat, EP&I organized a symposium
in association with teachers and educational advisors from the region on
the importance of protecting the environment and the role of the General
Womenís Association in achieving environmental protection goals.
In Al-Qaidasia, EP&I organized
a symposium, which included a number of lectures on the environment, work
environment and the protection of workers, and a lecture on the effect
of pesticides on the environment.
In Neanaweh, a tree-planting and a
clean-up campaign were organized in cooperation with the local municipality.
In Thequar, EP&I gave a lecture
for workers in the water sector and female workers on drinking water and
pollution.
In Meesan, EP&I gave a lecture
for workers in the field of drinking water purification on environment
protection and ways of minimizing pollution.
KUWAIT
The Environment Public Authority celebrated
World Environment Day by planting trees with help from a number of volunteer
school children. A recycling campaign was initiated to combat the increasing
waste problem. The goal of the campaign is to recycle all possible refuse
by September 1999.
Wide media coverage of national and
international environmental events was received.
OMAN
One thousand runners took part in a
5km race organized for the occasion. Recreational activities were organized
for children and families at the City Theatre in Muscat. A coral reef clean-up
campaign in which 77 divers participated was also organized. A two-week
media campaign to raise public awareness on the significance of World Environment
Day was also held. The Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Environment
issued a booklet to mark the occasion.
QATAR
An inter-school educational competition
on environmental issues was organized, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs
and Agriculture gave a speech to mark the occasion. An environmental competition
was announced on radio. Students of the MES Indian School collected 5000
signatures on a 500m long scroll of recycled computer paper to create environmental
awareness. The events received wide media coverage.
SYRIA
Local newspapers and magazines covered
WED celebrations and published a number of environmental articles to raise
public awareness on the significance of the occasion. In addition, the
Ministry of Environment Affairs published a special WED issue of "Life
& Environment".
The local radio show "The Family"
broadcast a special on the environment. Guests on the show included the
Director of Religious Guideness of the Ministry of Religious Endowments
and the Director of Environmental Education, Awareness and Publicity of
the Ministry of Environment Affairs.
The local and satellite TV channels
aired a number of special shows on this occasion, including an interview
with the Minister of Environment on 5 June on the Syrian Satellite Channel.
The weekly show "Good Morning" aired
a special on environmental problems in Syria and the role citizens can
play to minimize those problems.
Two symposiums organized by the Ministry
of Environment Affairs was aired on both the satellite channel and local
channels. The symposiums focused on desertification, biological diversity
and Syriaís national environmental strategy.
A number of environmental documentaries
were shown on local and satellite channels in both English and Arabic,
including an environmental awareness show which aired throughout the first
week of June.
The Ministry of Environment Affairs
also organized a symposium on "The Technology of Composting Agricultural
Waste for Reuse in the Agricultural Sector" in association with
AOAD. The Ministry also organized, in collaboration with the Agricultural
Engineers Union, a seminar under this yearís WED theme "Just Save It".
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
World Environment Day in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) was celebrated with the organization of a symposium
with guests giving lectures on issues related to the environment. In addition,
a feature presentation on "Environment Protection in Refineries"
was presented on that day. Environmental posters were strategically placed
throughout the country.
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