Riyadh, Oct 24(Arab News): The late Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, who was best known for his visionary leadership, statesmanship and for his charity work on local and global levels, was an active environmentalist throughout his life.
Prince Sultan was the only Arab leader who almost single-handedly transformed the environmental politics of the region and brought necessary changes to the water policies of the Kingdom and the Gulf with an aim to ensure sustainability and reliability.
Described as one of the top 10 environmentalists of the world, Sultan was the chairman of the Saudi Ministerial Committee for Environment, which sets forth the national strategy for environmental protection. In this capacity, he worked in unison with Saudi and Arab government agencies and inspired think tanks as well as organizations operating in the field of environment and wildlife conservation. His contributions in the environmental field will benefit future generations of the Kingdom and the world at large.
"His two major initiatives that have impact beyond the borders of the Kingdom include the creation of the Saudi Wildlife Commission (SWC) and Prince Sultan International Prize for Water," said a report released by the SWC on Sunday. Sultan, who was also chairman of the SWC board of governors, was commended by several international organizations and conferences for his role in the field of environment protection, natural resources and his continued international contributions to environmental affairs.
To this end, it is important to mention that the 14th International Conference of Environment conferred honorary membership on the crown prince. Sultan also won the "Peace and Environment Prize for 2003," which is awarded by the Munich-based Arab and European Cooperation Center.
"In fact, Crown Prince Sultan is extremely active in environmental matters and promoting sustainability," said an SWC official, adding that the crown prince was instrumental in establishing the Saudi Presidency of Meteorology and Environment back in 1981 as part of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation.
He was also the chief of SWC, the organization he founded in 1986 to promote and conserve the nation’s indigenous wildlife. His support to the Prince Sultan Research Center for Environment, Water and Desert at King Saud University including the Space Image Atlas project of Saudi Arabia has been widely appreciated. He also supported a number of King Saud University’s research projects related to water and the environment, including the King Fahd Project for Rainwater Harvesting.
As the patron of the International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environments (ICWRAE), Sultan received a number of regional and international prizes and commendations. In 1996, Sultan was awarded the Arab Environment Shield. In response to the increasing interest, the Kingdom's Ministerial Committee on Environment (MCE) was formed several years back to act as the highest institutional authority responsible for setting environmental strategies and policies.
In support for this environmental work, Sultan established the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) as a specialized environmental agency responsible for managing a group of protected areas and implementing programs relating to the Kingdom's wildlife. Now the NCWCD or SWC are also responsible for conducting biological research and using the results nationwide to protect and preserve rare and endangered zoological and botanical species.
The SWC draws attention to wildlife-related environmental issues through environmental awareness campaigns and its participation at local and international conferences. Sultan, in his capacity as chief of the SWC, threw his weight behind the programs and projects of the organization, which yielded good results during the last 10 years. The SWC worked to develop the environmental management institutions and a national framework for managing the environment. The SWC also ensured the Kingdom's effective participation in many international and regional forums on environmental issues, in particular the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the "Earth Summit") held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. This is in addition to distinguished efforts in combating and controlling the largest ever oil spill in the Arabian Gulf after the Kuwait liberation war, and in protecting strategic utilities and facilities. The organization also worked for the development and upgrading of meteorological services provided to both civilian and non-civilian sectors.
Referring to the conservation and expansion of the Kingdom's vegetation resources, the SWC report said Sultan supported the novel project that led to the plantation of more than 10,000 hectares of range and pasture lands, the replantation of 80 hectares of forests, and the distribution of 500,000 seedlings. "The preservation and protection of wildlife including the establishment of 10 wildlife reserves for rare and endangered species and three research centers," are other exemplary achievements, the report added. The report said the SWC has produced a documentary on Sultan, highlighting his contributions to the green cause both in the Kingdom and abroad. “The purpose of the initiative is not only to tell the world about Sultan’s contributions to wildlife but also to have a comprehensive record of his achievements in our archives for reference by researchers and wildlife specialists,” said the report.
In the field of water conservation, Sultan set up a new global prize for water in 2002. The Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud International Prize for Water is awarded every two years. The Prize Council is headed by Prince Khaled Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, and it includes leading scholars from around the world. It is a biannual international scientific award that accepts nominations from all over the world. "This internationally acclaimed scientific prize has proven to be one of Saudi Arabia's key contributions to water-related issues on a global scale," said the report.
Today, this prize is one of the intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations to have a permanent observer status on the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). It is the representative of Saudi Arabia at COPUOS' annual meetings in Vienna. Together with the United Nations and UNESCO, the prize has undertaken the establishment of a vast online portal for water research and resources. The prize also annually sponsors more than 10 international conferences and exhibitions on water around the world.