Research Institute: Regional Meeting in Collaboration with the IAEA to Enhance Groundwater Protection
The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research announced on Sunday the launch of a regional meeting titled “Enhancing Groundwater Protection Using Nuclear Technology Amid Climate Change and Pollution Challenges,” in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The event will run until next Thursday.
In a press statement, the Institute said the meeting is held under the framework of the Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (ARASIA), with the participation of a select group of experts and specialists from several Arab countries.
It added that the meeting is part of the regional project on assessing pollution and the impacts of climate change on water resources using nuclear techniques to prepare groundwater vulnerability maps and identify protection zones, with Kuwait serving as the lead coordinating country.
The meeting will see the participation of approximately 20 specialists and representatives from Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, alongside Dr. Reem Al-Tabbakh, the IAEA’s Technical Officer for Isotope Hydrology, and international expert Dr. Iñaki Vadillo Pérez from Spain.
The meeting’s proceedings opened with a welcome address by Dr. Habiba Al-Muneef, the Institute’s National Contact Point with the IAEA. Dr. Khaled Hadi, Acting Executive Director of the Water Research Center, chaired the opening session, assisted by Dr. Reem Al-Tabbakh, IAEA representative.
The meeting focuses on exchanging expertise and scientific knowledge in the field of groundwater protection and enhancing the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques to assess the impacts of pollution and climate change, as well as discussing future challenges and ways to strengthen the sustainability and improve the management of water resources in member states.
It noted that organizing the meeting underscores the importance of regional cooperation and the exchange of scientific and technical expertise in addressing growing threats to water resources, and supports efforts to protect groundwater and ensure its sustainability for future generations.
