The Saudi Shoura Council has recently approved a recommendation issued by council member Awad Al-Asmari, to establish an environmental police department responsible for protecting the environment and natural resources.

 

“The establishment of an independent entity would ensure the protection of the environment, create job opportunities and promote environmental awareness in the community,” said Al-Asmari.

 

The council member cautioned that waste and leftovers are accumulating in public spaces, which raises grave concerns for the Kingdom’s ecosystem.

 

“The presence of environmental police with the necessary powers would curb the phenomenon of waste disposal in public areas and would lower pollution levels, which have been proven to cause diseases,” he added.

 

In a related development, the Shoura Council approved the recommendations issued by the Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA) to increase scholarships in the field of environmental protection. The authority also suggested the creation of sufficient incentives to attract pilots to work in air traffic control and the establishment of environmentally friendly facilities to encourage internal tourism.

 

Meanwhile, the council dismissed a recommendation to encourage merchants and firms in the private sector to establish wild nature reservations registered in their names under the supervision of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, asserting that the move might lead to an increase in land grabbing cases.