State-of-the-art information for region on marine climate

A1ROPME consists of eight member countries: the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council: Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, as well as Iraq and Iran, and was set up to enable them to work together towards protecting coastal and oceanic plant and animal life.

“This regional programme is providing state-of-the-art information for the ROPME region, including Oman, on marine climate change risks and adaptation actions, and the potential for addressing climate change through nature-based solutions,” he said. “Oman hosted three important regional workshops as part of the Regional Action Plan before COVID-19 restricted travel in the region.”

Plant and animal species

The seas around these countries contain valuable natural resources, as well as large numbers of diverse plant and animal species.

The wetlands, waterfowl, mangroves, fish, marine mammals, turtles, corals and other forms of life are treasures of the region.

There are over twenty species of dolphin and whale, all the five subtropical species of turtles, and more than a thousand species of fish, most of which, are endemic and have a high commercial value.

With a presence in the GCC since the 1970s, the organisation has been more active in Oman and across the region over the last five years.

COVID pandemic

They opened an office in the British Embassy in Muscat in 2017, although this office is temporarily closed due to the COV

ID pandemic.

“As the human population grows and becomes wealthier we are placing increasing demands on the environment, and in areas we are living beyond the limits of sustainability,” Le Quesne went on to say. “It is recognised that our wellbeing and our future is critically dependent on the environment.”