MUSCAT The jury panel of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) of the Unesco unveiled winners of Sultan Qaboos Award for Environment Preservation for 2013.
Her Excellency Madiha Bint Ahmed Al Shibaniyah, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, said that the award was co-won by National Forest Holding ‘State Forests’ in Poland and the Wild Life at Risk Protection Organisation in South Africa.
She said that the prize will be awarded in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) during the World Science Forum 2013 from November 24 to 27.
The Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environment Preservation is a biennial award launched by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said during his speech at the Unesco headquarters in 1989 during a visit there.
The prize comes in recognition of the role played by MAB Programme in supporting the efforts to protect and sustain environment, encourage sustainable use of natural resources to reduce the deterioration of biodiversity and limit environmental and biosphere deterioration.
The minister pinpointed that the Sultan Qaboos Award is the first Arab award on the international level in the field of environment protection that has recognised individuals and organiations from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America for their focus on the sites listed on the World Heritage List and the natural sanctuaries.
She added that the award reflects His Majesty’s call to intensify efforts to ensure safety of environment for all mankind. It reflects the Sultanate’s efforts since a number of years to preserve the environment and protect it against the hazards it faces.
With a firm belief in the importance of preserving the environment, His Majesty has increased the financial deposit dedicated for the award this year.
Oman News Agency
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