Bahrain hosts regional ministerial meeting on COVID-19, environment

TDT | Manama

Bahrain, represented by the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), hosted the First Ministerial Meeting on COVID-19 and the Environment in West Asia. The meeting, organised by the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Regional Office for West Asia, aimed to highlight the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the region and to recommend specific, sustainable, and environmentally friendly measures and policies.

UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) vice-president and SCE executive chairman Dr Mohamed Mubarak bin Daina conveyed the greetings of His Majesty the King’s personal representative and SCE President His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the participating ministers and the environmental councils and authorities presidents, as well as to UNEP executive director Inger Andersen and UNEP regional director and West Asia representative Sami Dimassi.

The officials discussed issues of common interest across the countries of the region related to measures taken to protect the environment amidst the COVID-19 crisis, and presented a roadmap for re-building after the pandemic.

The ministers adopted a joint ministerial statement confirming the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human safety and the environment, and its negative impact on local, regional and global economies. The ministers expressed their deep regret for the lives lost to COVID-19 all over the world.

They noted that the pandemic has led to a remarkable increase in the production of waste, in general, and plastic, in particular, at all levels. The pandemic has also led to a decrease in investment in environmental and economic measures and activities that depend on environmental services.

The meeting called for strengthening regional coordination and exchanging knowledge and experiences to work for a healthy environment for current and future generations. It also called on the UNEP Regional Office in West Asia to continue providing technical support and assistance to the countries of the region, especially those most affected by the crisis.