VZCZCXRO5763
RR RUEHAST RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKU #0114/01 0391224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081224Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2783
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1988
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 1357
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 1156
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 0586
RUEAEPA/EPA WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 000114 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/RA AND OES 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
STATE PASS TO NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL 
COMMERCE FOR NOAA 
INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/WASHBURNE AND USGS 
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP/ROLF 
EMBASSY AMMAN FOR ESTH HUB OFFICER 
 
SENSITIVE - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ETRD EAID PGOV KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT ESTH UPDATE 
 
REF: (A) 08 KUWAIT 1197  (B) KUWAIT 78 
 
¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST.  PLEASE SEE PARAGRAPH 16. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: Kuwait's science and technology establishment 
is dominated by the government-funded Kuwait Institute for 
Scientific Research (KISR) and the non-governmental Kuwait 
Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS).  While both 
institutions are relatively well endowed with resources, Kuwait 
is lacking a national science policy and its competitiveness is 
constrained by a weak IPR regime and private sector engagement 
strategy.  KFAS is keen to hold a 2009 follow up conference to 
the Department of State-supported January 2007 Women in Science 
Conference in Kuwait.  The environmental landscape is bleak: 
17 years after the oil-fires from the Iraqi invasion, the 
oil-lakes have yet to be remediated; the Kuwaiti Environmental 
Protection Authority (EPA) has weak institutional capacity and 
has been without a Director General for the past two years. 
Air pollution from the oil/petroleum sector and crude-oil power 
generation is a serious environmental and health concern.  The 
EPA requested USG assistance with developing an emissions 
monitoring program.  ROPME, the regional seas organization based 
in Kuwait, also signaled a desire for increased re-engagement 
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 
End Summary. 
 
THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE 
==================================== 
 
¶3. (U) Kuwait's science and technology (S&T) establishment is 
dominated by the GOK's Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research 
(KISR) and the non-governmental Kuwait Foundation for the 
Advancement of Science (KFAS).  KISR focuses on applied research 
in petroleum, environment and urban development, food resources, 
water resources and economics. Under the next national strategic 
plan, KISR hopes that S&T funding will increase to 1% of total 
GDP and provide a boost to let KISR focus on strategic projects 
in renewable energy, water resources and the petroleum industry. 
KISR plans to monetize its R&D in water, tissue culture in food 
production, and petroleum services by creating three private 
sector entities to commercialize the research.  In meetings 
with Amman ESTH Hub Officer and Econoffs, KISR requested U.S. 
assistance related to environmental health epidemiology, 
emerging pollutants, developing environmental indicators, 
and improved air pollution indexes.  KISR was also keen to 
benefit from USG experiences in the renewable energy field. 
(Note: given the weakening economic situation in Kuwait and 
given ongoing tense relations between the Government and 
Parliament, Post is doubtful that KISR will enjoy significantly 
increased funding in the next one to two years. Similarly, Post 
is dubious that KISR will manage to establish private sector 
entities to monetize its R&D accomplishments.  End Note). 
 
¶4. (U) The 32 year-old KFAS currently has $1.5 billion in 
endowments funded over the years by 1% of the profits of 
Kuwaiti public companies.  Director General Ali Al-Shamlan 
informed Amman ESTH Hub Officer and Econoffs that KFAS provided 
KD 15 million (approximately USD 55 million) in grants in 2007 
and is able to fund any project proposal approved by its 
international referees.  A scientific center established by 
KFAS attracts more than 500,000 visits annually including 
thousands of school children to its aquarium and science 
discovery center.  KFAS academic collaborations include 
Harvard' Kennedy School of Government to support 
professorships, collaborative research and tailor made 
workshops for Kuwaiti participants as well as the MIT-Kuwait 
Center for Natural Resources and Environment. Al-Shamlan noted 
his desire to follow up on the January 2007 Women in Science 
Conference in Kuwait (partnership between KFAS, KISR, the 
Department of State and the American Association for the 
 
KUWAIT 00000114  002 OF 004 
 
 
Advancement of Science) with another conference in late 2009. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Private sector interlocutors such as Fawzi Al Sultan 
from F&N Consultancy painted a critical picture regarding S&T 
propagation in Kuwait and why it might lose out to its 
neighbors.  Al Sultan noted that government controls and 
runs most services -- oftentimes inefficiently -- and lacks 
a clear strategy to deal with private sector.  Since 93% of 
Kuwaitis work in government jobs, there is a reluctance to 
allow the private sector to flourish.  He noted despondently, 
"To get into the race, first you have to get to the starting 
line" of minimum international practices.  Microsoft's country 
manager also highlighted that technology transfer in Kuwait 
was difficult given IPR violations (estimated at 62% in the 
software industry) and government inability to give licenses 
for new technologies.  A Microsoft Innovation Center located 
at KISR also appears to be under-utilized. 
 
AIR AND GROUND POLLUTION 
======================== 
 
¶6. (SBU) Since the 1991 Kuwaiti oil-fires from the Gulf War, 
environmental issues appear to have been getting short shrift. 
The GOK receives large payments from the United Nations 
Compensation Committee (established by UNSCR 692 in 1991) 
for the environmental degradation caused during the Iraqi 
occupation in 1990-91.  However, 17 years after the oil-fires, 
there continue to be large "oil lakes" in Kuwait with resultant 
groundwater pollution and oil absorption in nearby plant and 
animal life.  Media reports indicate that a bidding process is 
ongoing for companies to assist with environmental remediation 
programs funded by the UNCC. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) -- which 
falls under the purview of the Ministry of Defense -- is the 
300-person GOK entity responsible for environmental management. 
The Director-General position has been vacant for the last 2 
years.  The National Assembly recently decided to establish an 
environmental committee despite the lack of Government support. 
However, Post's interlocutors at the Kuwait Environment 
Protection Society (KEPS) and other NGOs state that MPs rarely 
attend the meetings. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Key environmental issues in Kuwait include: 
-- Air pollution from the oil/petrochemicals industry, 
refineries, and power generation from crude oil with high 
sulphur content.  Many of these plants are located adjacent 
to housing areas, and several interlocutors told the ESTH Hub 
officer of possible linkages to increased cancer incidence; 
-- Oil-lake remediation: many of the lakes have now dried, 
but often result in toxic particles in the air during 
dust-storms; 
-- Weak coastal zone management: cases of untreated sewage 
spilling into sea often result in dead fish washing onto 
the shores; 
-- Waste management: Kuwait is generating two kilos waste/per 
person on a daily basis with landfills reaching capacity. 
Some of the older landfills do not have lining resulting in 
groundwater pollution. 
-- Uncontrolled use of limited groundwater resources with no 
licensing or regulations. 
(Note: An oil spill arising from a leak at a power station 
affected seven kilometers of coastline just west of Kuwait 
City in mid-January; reftel B.  End Note.) 
 
¶9. (U) KISR measures ambient air quality on behalf of the 
government. While the law requires that any industry with 
more than 100 staff measure its emissions, there is no 
industrial emissions monitoring program.  There are currently 
only seven EPA emissions inspectors and while there is 
 
KUWAIT 00000114  003 OF 004 
 
 
sufficient equipment such as stack analyzers, EPA lacks 
the technical and management skills to deploy an emissions 
monitoring program. 
 
SOLE ENVIRONMENTAL NGO PUSHES AHEAD 
=================================== 
 
¶10. (U) Founded in 1973, the Kuwait Environment Protection 
Society (KEPS) claims to be among the oldest environmental 
NGOs in the Arab world.  Through a MEPI grant it has established 
environmental clubs at two Kuwaiti universities: 70 students 
are elected through a democratic process to lead the clubs in 
environmental outreach, environmental seminars, SMS campaigns 
and publishing newsletters.  The clubs are planning to engage 
with parliamentarians to lobby for strengthened environmental 
legislation.  (There is no current legislation for air quality, 
water quality, or waste management).  Trainers from Portland 
State University have provided training in the formation of 
the clubs. 
 
¶11. (SBU) KEPS was critical of the EPA, noting that 
"governmental entities are the main pollutants -- how can one 
government entity control and regulate another government 
entity?"  According to KEPS, the Higher Council of EPA has 
not met for two years while the Director General position has 
been vacant.  While the EPA published air quality guidelines 
in 2001, they have yet to be implemented.  KEPS also noted 
that the five air monitoring stations used to report the 
ambient air quality on the internet, however, the data was 
removed after emissions started to exceed standards by 70%. 
 
REGIONAL SEAS ORGANIZATION 
========================== 
 
¶12. (U) ROPME, the regional seas organization for the seven 
states bordering the Gulf (Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Qatar, UAE, 
Oman, and Saudi Arabia) gave an upbeat assessment on the state 
of marine life in the Gulf and believes that chronic pollution 
is not rising significantly. Contrary to the views of some 
environmental NGOs, ROPME's scientists noted that Gulf waters 
are "refreshed" every five to seven years, oil residues are not 
rising, the biological diversity is still strong, fisheries 
productivity has not dropped, the coral reefs do not show any 
significant degradation, and indicator species such as the 
Dugong 'sea-cow' have not declined dramatically.  (Note: 
anecdotal information from Post sources indicates that the 
quality and quantity of fisheries stocks have suffered in 
recent years, ROPME's assertions notwithstanding.  End Note). 
 
¶13. (U) ROPME is planning a State of Marine Life conference 
in 2009 to present its recent data and release its formal 
report.  The ROPME sea-area has, however, been designated a 
special area as of August 2008 under the Marpol Annex 1 
provision due to the lack of reception facilities at ports 
for ships to discharge their ballast water and oil.  Noting 
that NOAA and ROPME partnered in their initial research 
cruise in 1991, ROPME welcomed potential NOAA participation 
in the next ROPME oceanography cruise to support increased 
coverage of the Global Oceans Observation System (GOOS). 
(Note: The inner-ROPME sea-area is currently not covered by 
GOOS.  End Note). 
 
COMMENT 
======= 
 
¶14. (SBU) Comment: Despite KISR's and KFAS's ascendant role in 
the S&T landscape, there is no unified science policy in the 
country.  The cognizance of R&D's and S&T's relevance to 
economic development is often lacking in the Government's 
planning processes, not to mention implementation.  Another 
 
KUWAIT 00000114  004 OF 004 
 
 
challenge is attracting Kuwaiti students to scientific fields 
in higher education -- the easier humanities studies result 
in a government salary equal to that of a science graduate. 
 
¶15. (SBU) Despite the bleak environmental landscape, there 
may be signs of progress.  KISR currently undertakes many 
environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for new projects and 
has noted improvements: previously, EIA recommendations were 
rarely heeded by the GOK, whereas now, in 60% of cases, EIA 
recommendations are reviewed and implemented, according to 
Post's KISR interlocutors. 
 
ACTION REQUEST 
============== 
 
¶16. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: The GOK's EPA requested U.S. 
assistance to help it develop capacity for monitoring 
industrial emissions.  EPA also requested U.S. assistance 
with developing a chemicals management plan. Post requests 
that OES liaise with the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency about a programming partnership with the Kuwaiti 
EPA to enhance the GOK's capacity to monitor industrial 
emissions and develop a chemicals management plan. 
End Action Request. 
 
JONES