HRH Premier receives UNEP executive director

Manama, Feb. 28 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has stressed the importance of achieving and strengthening environmental security through intensifying the collective efforts exerted by countries, organisations and individuals in this regard, warning that the adverse effects of environmental changes caused by humans through wars and other factors are more serious than those caused by nature. HRH Premier pointed out that scaling down the effects of environmental degradation requires planning to confront them and raise awareness on their repercussions, noting that the region has suffered a lot from the policies that led to deterioration in security that is no less dangerous than the environmental degradation it has caused. "We extend hands of cooperation to the international community in order to mitigate the effects of those policies on the region's stability, environmental safety and citizens’ health," he said. The Prime Minister made the statements while receiving, at the Gudaibiya Palace today, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Erik Solheim, who is currently on a visit to the kingdom to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between Bahrain and UNEP in environmental and development fields. HRH Premier highlighted the major role played by the UN and its specialised programmes in boosting initiatives that serve human beings, and adopting issues that achieve good for the entire humanity, calling for paying more attention to environment-related issues, improving peoples’ quality of life and mobilising global efforts to stop damaging the environment to ensure a better life for the future generations. HRH the Prime Minister warned against the persistent failure to deal seriously and effectively with areas suffering from environmental disruption due to wars, conflicts or other, and their negative impacts on the environment throughout the world. The Prime Minister stressed the importance allocated by the Kingdom of Bahrain to environmental aspects, noting that the government places the environmental aspect on top of its priorities in its various development projects through resorting to renewable energy. The Premier urged the need to continue launching awareness-raising programmes and campaigns that educate peoples about the dangers of environmental imbalance and its effects on human health, stressing the kingdom’s constant desire to work with the United Nations and to support its programmes to protect the environment and achieve a better life for peoples. UNEP Executive Director expressed thanks and appreciation to the government, led by HRH Premier, for its support for international efforts to preserve the environment, hailing the Prime Minister’s role in consolidating sustainable development. Erik Solheim praised the Government of Bahrain’s keenness to push the international efforts to preserve the environment forward through its distinguished partnership With the United Nations Environment Programme.