Green Intuitive
Cloud Seeding
Mangrove Afforestation Program
Sooty Falcon Survey Project
Development of Methodologies Guide and Indicators Bulletin for Sustainable Development
Upgrading National Oil Spill Contingency Plan
Revision of Water Supply Wells Protection plans, and creation of new protection zones
Project of enabling activities to develop a national implementation plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Radiation Monitoring Network and Early Warning System Project
The national program of monitoring pollutants in marine environment
Project of Implementing the Groundwater Pollution Protection Master Plan
Expansion of National Stations for Air Pollution Monitoring Network

Green Intuitive

To shoulder its environmental responsibility, the Ministry of Technology and Communications adopted an environmental initiative, to create a sound eco-system for information technology, which will contribute to reducing pollution, promoting a culture of recycling, and creating a work place that is friend to the environment, it was called "Green Initiative, The initiative’s mission is to create a green digital environment, exploiting all resources available, and creating an environmental policy to achieve the objectives of the initiative, such as establishing other initiatives on recycling, organizing workshops and awareness campaigns, promoting exchange of experiences in the field of green initiatives globally and internationally.

The initiative’s major directions, are: 1. Procedures: reduction of material consumption, and reuse/renew materials at hand. 2. Focus Areas: providing tools, transportation, recycling electronic waste, delivery of electronic services and others. 3. Directions: Follow-up, development of standards, directing, managing e-waste, and others. Three different teams are responsible of implementing the initiative’s activities, namely: 1. Compliance Team: it selects and disseminates best practices, and provides guidance on how to create a green environment. 2. Event Management Team: Responsible for plan workshops, seminars and training courses and organizing competitions promoting the culture of Green Initiative. 3. Awareness Team: spreading awareness about Green Initiative and its importance, as well as measuring the effectiveness of green initiatives as agreed standards. Among the practices carried out by the initiative are the following: Sharing knowledge and information electronically, recycling paper waste, managing energy, reducing carbon emissions, and measuring quality and efficiency of the practices. To read more about the initiative, click here.

Cloud Seeding

After conducting intensive studies, it was clear that increasing rainfall in Oman is possible through a way called "Cloud Seeding". This method works through installing stations that contains ionic emitters that sends negative ions to coalesce with dust particles in the air to increase rainfall. The ionic method was chosen for being the safest. So, the project was equipped to work in 2012 in several locations, including Al Jabal Al Akhdar because the conditions needed for this method to work, such as altocumulus middle-altitude (clouds in medium-levels of the air), rising air currents and high humidity are all available there. However, to follow-up and evaluate the project, a 120 devices connected to mobile networks were distributed all over Oman. In addition, monitoring stations were installed to observe all variables. The results of the project were satisfying, for the proportions of rainfall in the Sultanate rose by 18% in 2014 after implementing this project.

Mangrove Afforestation Program

Mangrove trees are resistant to salinity, therefore they are really important for the Omani environment and are important to provide a natural and convenient environment for the growth and reproduction of marine life. Therefore, the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources is implementing the Mangrove Afforestation Program in more than 20 coastal locations in the Sultanate, mainly concentrating in Muscat, Sur, and North Al Batinah, and the island of Masirah, Bar Al Hakaman, and Salalah. The project implementers confirms that planting these trees is a comprehensive care for the Omani environment, especially the marine environment where these trees represent a rich source of food for marine organisms.

Sooty Falcon Survey Project

The Sultanate attracts nearly 511 species of birds because of the diversity of its climate and environment. Moreover, it attracts 10% of the number of hawks in the world. Including Sooty falcon, which is currently endangered, and therefore Office for Conservation of the Environment at Diwan of Royal Court is working with a number of competent environmental institutions in the Sultanate and international institutions to study the Sooty through the Sooty Falcon Survey Project. The office had established study and observation bases at Al Fahel and Deynamiat Islands for the large numbers of hawks nesting in them. The survey team had numbered 369 falcons in 2012, and the data proved gradual decreasing in the numbers of hawks’ nests, so the Office is working on developing national and regional plans to safeguard this type of birds. Also it plans on expanding the scope of the study to include all countries to which the falcon migrates.

Development of Methodologies Guide and Indicators Bulletin for Sustainable Development

Given the importance of indicators and its leading role in strategic planning of development, social, economic, environmental, and digital indicators of sustainable development were set up. And a specialized committee called “Committee for the development of sustainable development indicators” had taken the part of preparing those indicators. The first bulletin of the indicators was issued at the end of December 2006. Then the National Center for Statistics and information developed the methodologies guide for the indicators and published it in hard copies.

Upgrading National Oil Spill Contingency Plan

The project aims to develop and upgrade the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan to fit with the changes taking place in Oman. The plan was set in 1985 and updated in 1993 and 1995. The ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs is keen to upgrading the plan continuously, because of the increasing numbers of coastal facilities, such as ports, industrial areas and oil tankers passing through the territorial waters of the Sultanate, which may lead to oil leaks to the marine environment. The results of these efforts paid off in 2013 when the Cypriot ship "Nisar R3" which carried (816) tons of bitumen sank in the Omani waters, as the ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs had responded to the notification and was able to rescue nine members of the ship's crew, lift the sunken ship, and cooperate with specialized companies to form field teams to combat oil pollution in the coasts of Muscat and Muttrah.

Revision of Water Supply Wells Protection plans, and creation of new protection zones

Based to the royal decrees issued to protect the environment and groundwater from pollution and depletion, the ministry has issued nine ministerial decisions to protect wells of water supply. The decisions included 30 fields and serves 35 states in the various governorates and regions of the Sultanate. These decisions have defined the goals the protection and borders of its areas, as well as, organizing development work within the limits of those areas in order to achieve a balance between development and protection of groundwater in the country. Due to the steady increase of the population the ministry is currently upgrading the old protection plans, and replacing them with plans that are much suitable with the construction boom the country is witnessing, the ministry has also created other new protection zones in the different governorates and regions of the Sultanate in 2001.

Project of enabling activities to develop a national implementation plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Oman signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants on 03/04/2002 and had ratified it on 24/11/2004 by Royal Decree No. (117/2004). This shows the Sultanate’s consciousness of their importance for the protection of the environment and human health from the risks of these substances, especially that its provisions do not conflict with the Law of Handling and use of chemicals issued by Royal Decree No. (46/95). Due to the importance of promoting and strengthening institutional mechanism in chemicals management, especially persistent organic pollutants. The Ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs, therefore has implemented this project to develop a national plan to implement the Stockholm Convention, which aims to amending and developing legislation documents, identifying PCB-containing equipment, disposing them safely and preparing and developing systems and ways to limit unintended emissions of industrial or any other activities. As well as, strengthening of the national communication system, transference of technology and exchange of information on the fields of persistent organic pollutants and other hazardous chemicals. The chemicals department in the ministry constantly sends questionnaires results and reports to the United Nations Organization, which is following the activities of the Sultanate in the management of these materials, in addition the ministry is keen on spreading awareness among all segments of society about how to dispose these materials and minimize their environmental impact.

Radiation Monitoring Network and Early Warning System Project

Creating and installing an early warning system was a result of the circumstances and particular attention on radiation, which the region is currently experiencing, as well as, the ministry’s concern for keeping the Sultanate safe from any negative effects that it may be exposed to as a result of radiation leaks that may occur from any external source. The Ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs had installed a number of stations in different regions of the Sultanate to monitor radiation that may be transmitted to the Sultanate’s atmosphere from neighbouring countries using nuclear energy or radioactive material. Therefore, the ministry continuously monitors levels of natural and artificial radiation and by central stations in the office building of the ministry. These stations monitor radiation (gamma) and radiation (alpha and beta), in addition to that the ministry uses devices for measuring air variables continuously through dialling different monitoring stations constantly.

The national program of monitoring pollutants in marine environment

The ministry is constantly monitoring sea water quality through monitoring nutrient and pollutant levels, in addition to chemical, physical and biological characteristics, sediment and vital indicators to detect any presence of contaminants in all the waters of the Sultanate through the national program of monitoring contaminants in the marine environment. The program was launched in 1996 and covers a number of sites in various regions of the Sultanate. Samples of sea water are also taken to study concentrations of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, nutrients and harmful algae and then to be analysed according to the standard methods recommended by the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, the United Nations Environment Programme and World Health Organization.

Project of Implementing the Groundwater Pollution Protection Master Plan

Implementation of the project began in 1995 confirming the keenness of the ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs to maintain the groundwater and protect it from pollution as being the most important sources of pure water in the Sultanate. The study, conducted in the field of groundwater protection, identified and evaluated potential sources of pollution on groundwater in the Sultanate, which have been classified into several main sources, such as: septic tanks, sites of solid waste disposal, sewage plants, mining activities, activities of the oil, and water desalination stations, agricultural activities, fuel stations, and industrial and commercial areas. The plan outputs focused on implementing regulations specialized in the field of protecting water sources from pollution, as well as, strengthen national capacities in the field of environmental control. Moreover, recommendations of the master plan for the protection of groundwater implemented through an extensive survey on a number of key sites for disposal of solid waste. Plus studying environmental impacts, assessing surrounding water condition in the region and providing the Ministry with special equipment for monitoring and inspection programs, as well as, the training of specialists in managing groundwater contamination.

Expansion of National Stations for Air Pollution Monitoring Network

The project started in February 2004 to provide two new mobile units to monitor air quality (the first in 2004 and second in 2006) to be transferred and used to monitor air pollutants in some selected areas. The number of fixed monitoring stations located devices in the MAF area and Rusayl Industrial Estate and Sohar Industrial Estate has also been increased in order to strengthen the ministry's ability to track various types of pollutants to monitor and compare national and international levels permitted to avoid negative effects on public health and environment. These stations are equipped with new units to cover the various regions of the Sultanate.