The Environment Public Authority (EPA) hammered out Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in know-how transfer and technical capacity building with UK's Government Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).
"The memo regulates exchanging environment-related data, researches and technical programs as well as the organization of reciprocal visits of officials of the two bodies," EPA Director General Rajaa Al-Bouseri on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.
"It also paves the way for implementing joint projects and activities in the future." Al-Bouseri added that the memo comprises nine articles regulating technical and scientific marine environment cooperation between both sides. The memo will be applicable for ten years and could be renewed for new five years automatically.
She argued one of the main objectives of the memo is building and enhancing the technical capacity of the EPA staff, especially in monitoring environment changes, preserving environment diversity and assessing the pollution of Kuwait's territorial waters.
For his part, CEFAS Operations Director Steve Millward welcomed the cooperation agreement with EPA.
He underlined that CEFAS is committed to bolstering cooperation with Kuwait's EPA to address marine environment challenges, "Especially as CEFAS has well-established record in technical and specialized joint action with EPA." He went on to say that CEFAS is looking forward to expanding cooperation with Kuwait in the future.
CEFAS is currently working with the Kuwait Environmental Public Authority in assessing pollution in the waters surrounding Kuwait City.
CEFAS is a UK Government Agency and the UK's most diverse applied marine environmental science organisation. It has a long-standing relationship with Kuwait and a significant track record of working in the Middle East extending back to the 1980s.
It provides evidence-based scientific advice, manages related data and information, and conducts world-class scientific research. It is also engaged in a range of commercial activities in the renewable energy, infrastructure and other marine sectors.