Environment and Economy of Kuwait :: Geography

Environment and Economy of Kuwait Kuwait is not self-sufficient in agriculture but the kingdom ordain bein the future. Its outturn of cereals, vegetables and fruit grown in theoasis of Jahra and scattered smallholdings is not sufficient for thepopulations needs, due to limitations of water system supply, fertile soil, climate and manpower. Much of its food needs to be imported but governmentinvestment and the work of the Kuwait Experimental farm have led toimprovements whereby actual resources are more efficiently utilized. Kuwait is a small arid desert land of about 6200 square miles. Thereis virtually no inhering source of fresh water. Climatic conditions entailoccasional high winds and dust storms, little or no rainfall, and summertemperatures as high as one hundred twentyF. Consequently, arable land amounts to lessthan 9% of total acreage.1 Soil deficiencies and the intense heat andsunlight allow continued cultivation only by expensive underground pipe-fedirrigation or by hydroponics. Ordinary irrigation under these conditionsresults in gradually increasing 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 even 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 amount 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 fact that urban growth and the hunting of animals which used to livein the desert has meant the virtual extinct ion of wildlife. Kuwait is trade from many countries animals such as cows, chickens and sheep. In view of Kuwaits extremely unpromising natural environment whichwas made even worse after the Persian disjuncture 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 investment trust for the Advancement of Sciences are engaged in avariety of projects concerned with the hybridization of plants, animalbreeding, the increase of yields in desert conditions, the treatment ofbrackish water and effluent water, irrigation methods, etc.