Environment and Economy of Kuwait :: Geography

Environment and Economy of capital of Kuwait Kuwait is not self-sufficient in land still the republic will bein the future. Its production of cereal grasss, vegetables and fruit grown in theoasis of Jahra and scattered sm everyholdings is not sufficient for thepopulations needs, due to limitations of water supply, fat soil,climate and manpower. Much of its food needs to be imported but governmentinvestment and the work of the Kuwait Experimental prove sacrifice led toimprovements whereby existing resources are more efficiently utilized. Kuwait is a small arid repudiate land of about 6200 square miles. thereis virtually no natural source of fresh water. Climatic conditions stand foroccasional high winds and dust storms, little or no rainfall, and summertemperatures as high as 120F. Consequently, arable land amounts to littlethan 9% of total acreage.1 Soil deficiencies and the intense heat and sunniness allow continued cultivation only by expensive pipe pipe-fedi rrigation or by hydroponics. Ordinary irrigation under these conditionsresults in gradually change magnitude soil salinity. this phenomenon has been thecause of the estimated 1% annual decrease in arable land for the region asa whole. Hence, development of traditional agriculture is severelyrestricted. Kuwaitis are under no illusion that self-sufficiency will take lessthan 20 to 30 years to attain and level off then it cannot include such items asbeef and cereals. For Kuwait cereal production is considered too expensiveand unnecessary. Self-sufficiency in poultry, vegetables and fruit is avisible goal already Kuwait produces 60% of the eggs it needs, 40% of thepoultry meat and 100% of the tomatoes. The next emphasis is likely to be ondairy farming and animal husbandry to increase the 25% of the required milksupplies that is produced in the country. The Kuwaitis are very consciousof the particular that urban growth and the hunting of animals which used to livein the desert has meant the virtual extinction of wildlife. Kuwait isimporting from many countries animals such as cows, chickens and sheep. In view of Kuwaits extremely unpromising natural environment whichwas make even worse after the Persian Gulf War, the key to all its hopesfor self-sufficiency lies in research and experiments. Their experimentalfarm research farmOmariya, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Researchand the Kuwait Fund for the publicity of Sciences are engaged in avariety of projects concerned with the ford of plants, animalbreeding, the increase of yields in desert conditions, the treatment ofbrackish water and effluent water, irrigation methods, etc.