The world is finally waking up to the immense damage to the environment by various factors, including severe and frequent flooding, cyclones, forest fires and record high temperatures – primarily stemming from global warming. In addressing these concerns, the Sultanate of Oman is considered a front-runner in the Arab region, as it had established in the 1970s a number of institutions to safeguard the environment. These steps were taken to promote awareness of these issues at the national and community levels in light of the multiple climate-related hazards that the country has faced over the past two decades, especially strong cyclones, the most recent of which was Tropical Cyclone Shaheen, which had resulted in significant material and human losses.
Today, the issue of environment and climate change has been received global attention in light of the serious harm that global warming had caused to many aspects of life. Recently, the city of Glasgow, Scotland, hosted the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with the participation of many world leaders, to discuss these issues, and to educate generations about the need to work on reducing carbon dioxide emissions to preserve life from pests, and to invest in alternative and green energy.
More than 100 global leaders pledged at the last summit to end deforestation and soil degradation by the end of the decade, covering 21 million square kilometres, given that forests absorb about 30 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, preventing them from causing global warming. Many countries have put in place legislation and laws to preserve their environments and natural resources and to provide environmental security for their peoples.
Runaway urbanization and flawed development models have necessitated measures to prevent damage to the environment, pollution of the atmosphere, and other safeguards. The reckless actions of humans have disturbed the environment’s delicate natural balance. All of us are now required to work collectively in raising awareness, especially among young people, by providing them with educational insight and pushing them to make behavioral changes to help preserve our environment.
Everyone agrees that, during the past five decades, the world has witnessed many challenges due to human actions, whether onshore or offshore, resulting in changes in the fragile ecosystem in which we live.
Today, countries need to work seriously to introduce legislation and laws that lead to enhancing our prospects of sustaining life by conserving natural resources, some of which are starting to become scarce, at a time when the number of people worldwide is increasing. This has led governments and institutions to invest in alternative energies to keep pace with the requirements of the next phase, and to preserve and coexist with the environment.
The world has witnessed several natural disasters that resulted in the elimination of many species and the loss of resources. This unfolding catastrophe has prompted global leaders to come together at conferences and summits to address what our current generation can do to safeguard our planet for the future generations.
