AUK Hosts Environmental Forum

The American University of Kuwait held an environmental forum at the AUK Salmiya campus on April 30th. The forum started with an opening speech by HE the Dutch Ambassador, Ton Boon von Ochsee; followed by a lecture by the cetacean expert, Mr. Joan Gonzalvo, from the Tethys Research Institute in Greece. The event was co-sponsored by the AUK Office of Student Life, and the Environmental Club (Al-Akhdar Club), in collaboration with the AUK Humanities Division, and Arabic Program. The forum was followed by registration booth for the Ionian Dolphin Project (IDP) volunteer program.

During his opening speech, the Dutch Ambassador outlined the interlacing nature of economical, social, and ecological factors that are vital to consider when governmental policies are developed to protect the environment. His Excellency highlighted some issues that contribute to environmental degradation including overpopulation that contributes to the loss of biological diversity. At the end of his lecture, the Dutch Ambassador was handed an honorary plaque by AUK president, Dr Winfred Thomson.

In his lecture, Gonzalvo talked about the twenty-year project on Ionian Dolphins in Greece. According to Gonzalvo, IDP has been operating since 1991 to ensure the long-term viability of dolphin species living in the coastal waters of the eastern Ionian Sea. Gonzalvo highlighted some of the pressures humans are placing on dolphin habitats in Greece. These include over-fishing of the sardines that the dolphins feed on, and the noise and disturbance from increasing boat traffic in the area. In order to instigate a local life style that is pro-conservation, Gonzalvo outlined the local program that they have developed in order to sustain the local interest in the conservation of dolphin habitats. This includes dolphin-related events, public presentations, and production of multimedia.

The Tethys Research Institute, which is hosting the IDP, is an Italian non-profit organization specializing in cetacean research. Founded in 1986, the institute regularly participates in research contributing to conservation efforts. The institute collaborates with many volunteer organizations around the world to assist in their research. Ms. Ghaidaa Mohamad, AUK Instructor of Arabic, is one of those volunteers who joined IDP through Earthwatch (a volunteer organization). As an environmental activist and volunteer, Mohamad initiated the idea of hosting the IDP lecture in Kuwait to raise environmental awareness.

For more Information about the Ionian Dolphins Project, please visit www.ioniandolphinproject.org

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 9th May 2012