KISR extends partnership with IAEA to advance marine pollution monitoring

Dr. Habiba Al-Munaie, a senior scientific researcher at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), announced that the institute has renewed its agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for another four years, until 2028.

The collaboration focuses on developing new methodologies to monitor and assess priority and emerging pollutants in Kuwait’s marine environment.

Speaking to Al-Rai, Dr. Al-Munaie highlighted the achievements of the institute’s Environmental and Life Sciences Research Center, noting its success in marine and coastal pollution assessment and climate change adaptation efforts within Kuwait. She explained that the center was first designated an IAEA Collaborating Center in 2019, maintaining its status through consistent scientific excellence.

Under the renewed agreement, the IAEA will provide technical expertise to Kuwait and other member states to combat marine pollution, assess the carbon cycle, and study the impacts of ocean acidification. The initiative aims to strengthen research and development capacities on blue carbon as a nature-based solution.

Dr. Al-Munaie added that the partnership will support the development of environmental monitoring methodologies to track both priority and emerging pollutants, including marine plastics, enhancing member states’ ability to manage resources sustainably and safely.

Research will also focus on the transport, behavior, and effects of pollutants, such as biotoxins associated with harmful algal blooms, to guide informed environmental management in normal and emergency situations.

Concluding her remarks, Dr. Al-Munaie emphasized that the center possesses state-of-the-art infrastructure and expertise for scientific research on climate change and microplastics, providing a strong foundation for Kuwait’s leadership in marine and environmental science.

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