The growing concerns of global warming and environment changes that pose a threat to human existence are being addressed in a three-day conference. “People on this planet should work actively and take necessary measures to prevent huge disasters. We should not be idle spectators and act only when disasters occur,” said Interior Minister Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, in a speech Sunday at the opening of the Arab International Conference on Environment Protection, in Riyadh. The conference is organized by the General Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection (PME) in cooperation with the Arab League and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Prince Naif graced the event on behalf of HRH Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. The Interior Minister in his speech lauded Prince Sultan as a leading pioneer of environment protection. The Crown Prince has won international awards in recognition of his outstanding efforts for global environment protection. Prince Naif noted that preserving the environment was an Islamic service since the religion gave utmost importance to the environment as a source of life. In this regard, the Interior Minister quoted the verse of the Holy Qur'an, “Eat and drink of that which Allah has provided and do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth,” (Surah Baqarah: 60). He also reminded the audience that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave a lot of importance to safety and hygiene. Referring to the devastating tsunami of Dec. 26 2004 that left thousands of people dead, Prince Naif said: “We are all in the same boat i.e. Planet Earth. The consequences of any harm or damage to it will not be restricted to one country or community, but rather it will affect everyone,” he said. “So we need to work as a team.” He added that while environmental legislations were important, they alone would not be sufficient unless educational and media organizations made special efforts to educate societies about its importance and work together towards enforcing such legislations. He praised the conference's purpose and said he was optimistic that it would be successful in formulating a vision and course to help create a better and more sustainable environment. PME President Prince Turki Bin Nasser Bin Abdul Aziz said in his speech that while Arab countries are focused on addressing environmental problems, activation of legislations in Arab countries requires political support. Moreover, he said, there must be more seriousness in implementing policies and national and regional programs for environmental protection.
