MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman will join the world countries on Wednesday to celebrate the third International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies under the theme of ‘The Air We Share’.
The event highlights the need for immediate and strategic international and regional cooperation for more efficient implementation of mitigation policies and measures to address air pollution.
On this occasion, the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Environment Authority, highlights the environmental dimension of the development process at the local, regional and international levels. It also underscores the principle of balance between development requirements and preserving the integrity of the environment in order to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The Environment Authority conducts monitoring and control measures of air pollutants, to ensure its quality by monitoring any substances, gases or toxic substances in the air in quantities, properties, or periods that lead to a change in its natural, chemical or biological properties and cause harm to humans, animals, plants or buildings or negatively affect life or property. These measures and controls are represented in the distribution of ambient air quality monitoring networks in industrial and urban areas, which include approximately 35 monitoring stations scattered in various governorates.
The Environment Authority also obliges companies to implement measures to reduce the concentrations of emissions from fixed sources such as chimneys, as well as the installation of continuous monitoring devices on these chimneys, as there are more than 100 continuous emissions monitoring systems.
The Authority is currently working, in coordination with partners, to enhance the monitoring system for air, water and marine environment pollutants, and to conduct several studies and projects in various aspects to achieve the strategic objectives of Oman Vision 2040, in particular the goal related to high-quality and pollution-free environments. – ONA
