Kuwait launches new initiative to document, protect perennial trees

• The Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources will expand Al-Sudairat to its original boundaries, and numbering perennial trees across the country will help improve Kuwait’s environmental performance index.

The Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources has approved an initiative proposed by activists Saad Al-Hayyan and Nasser Al-Hadian to protect perennial trees by assigning identification codes, documenting their numbers, locations, and ages, and linking them to relevant authorities, as reported by Al Rai newspaper.

The authority also approved the initiative to expand the Al-Sudairat to its original boundaries, on the condition that design plans for the project are submitted to the authority for review and approval according to the specified terms and conditions before work begins.

In this context, environmental activist Saad Al-Hayan told the newspaper that “numbering perennial trees in the country will help improve Kuwait’s environmental performance index.” He explained that “this initiative will include numbering perennial trees across all regions, following a specific mechanism and statistical method to estimate the approximate age of each tree, utilizing research bodies and creating a website to share information about these trees, their stories, and other relevant details.”

He added that “expanding the Al-Sudairat will encourage the return of wildlife that previously inhabited and nested in the area, such as catbirds, certain pigeon species, and land rabbits, which will further enhance Kuwait’s global environmental indicators, transforming it from a hot oven into an inviting ecosystem.”

Similarly, environmental activist Nasser Al-Hidian told the newspaper that “perennial trees are an integral part of Kuwait’s environment and hold environmental, social, and historical significance. These trees are a heritage of Kuwait, as their locations were once central to ancient Kuwaiti cities and hold decades of memories. This initiative was launched to protect these valuable trees.”