The Influence of Induced Drought Stress on Germination of Cenchrus ciliaris L.and Cenchrus setigerus Vahl.:Implications for Rangeland Restoration in the Arid Desert Environment of Kuwait

Drought impacts in arid desert ecosystems can result in decreased ecosystem productivity and biodiversity.Imple­mentation of restoration projects in arid desert environments is largely dependent on water availability and soil mois­ture condition.This study investigated the influence of induced drought stress by using polyethylene glycol(PEG-6000)solution on germination viz.Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus setigerus as the important rangeland species.The water stress potential treatments were 0(control),-0.5 MPa,-1.0 MPa,-1.5 MPa,and-2.0 MPa.The extent of seed germi­nation was severely affected by decreased water stress potential.As drought increased,the percentage of germination decreased in both Cenchrus’species.The water deficit at-0.5 MPa showed a significant(P<0.001)reduction in the final germination percentage in the case of C.setigerus and C.ciliaris by 65%and 42.5%,respectively.At-1.0 MPa to-1.5 MPa,changes in intermediate germination were observed in C.ciliaris(from 35%to 17.5%,respectively)and C.setigerus(from 22.5%to 11.25%respectively).Higher levels of water stress(-2.0 MPa)prevented the survival of both species.Understanding the germination strategies of native desert plant species associated with drought stress and identifying favorable conditions during the germination process can be useful for restoration practices and rangeland management actions to improve desert ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.

Deformities in silver pomfret Pampus argenteus caught from Kuwait waters

During sampling for spawning stock of the silver pomfret,Pampus argenteus in Kuwait waters,a few seriously deformed individuals were captured.These individuals had been attacked and wounded,but had healed and survived.The fish body deformities are believed to be caused by predation attempts on silver pomfret by predators such as sharks,groupers,and croakers.

Potential Impacts of Various Land Use Forms on Land Degradation in Arid Regions （Case Study： Kuwait）

During the last 20 years, land use in Kuwait was remarkably changed in various forms. Such changes resulted in positively constructive, as well as, adversely destructive impacts on the local environment and ecology. In 1993-1994, a buffer zone of 15 km wide and more than 200 km long was established between Iraq and Kuwait. This allowed the restoration of biodiversity, enhancement of ecological conditions and stabilization of fragile soils. In 1991, long bund walls were constructed along the Saudi-Kuwaiti borders by Saudi Arabia and in 1993-1994, a ground trench was dug along the Iraqi-Kuwaiti borders by Kuwait. Bund walls are piles of excavated soils, 2-3 m high, 3-5 m wide and several tens of kilometers length. Constructing 1 km length of a bund wall required 2,500-3,000 m3 （1,000 m length x 5 m average width x 0.5 m depth） amount of soil, which disturbed a groundcover strip of an average area of 10,000 m2 （1,000 m length x 10 m average width）. Border trenches are ground hollows 2-3 m deep, 3-5 m wide and 220 km long. The amount of excavated soil from digging 1 km long trench ranged from 6,000-8,000 m3. Field work indicated that 1 km long of trench had disturbed a groundcover of an average area of 12,000 m2 （1,000 m length ~ 12 m average width）. Such man-induced land features are closely related to land degradation processes, as they were of adverse environmental impacts on soil, surface hydrologic conditions and natural vegetation. The main objective of this study is to assess the immediate and long term impacts of the introduced land use forms in selected areas in Kuwait, such as Wadi AI Batin （Western part of Kuwait）. To achieve such an objective, intensive field program was designed and implemented and the collected data and available information were analyzed and interpreted.

Deploying an Interactive GIS System for Facility and Asset Management: Case Study-Ministry of Education, Kuwait

Geographical Information System (GIS) can be considered the core of the Interactive Facilities Management Environment (iFaME) framework in managing different facilities on the building bases. This study aims at building a comprehensive geodatabase for different elements of infrastructure facilities and services on the building bases for a selected number of schools and developing a GIS-based iFaME interactive application to manage different facilities at the school level in Kuwait. The iFaME is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) desktop application. It is intended to take planners, decision makers, and maintenance experts inside the building to provide an interactive GIS platform to manage, visualize, query, maintain, and update the database related to school assets and facilities. The Autodesk Revit software was used to produce 3D building information models (BIM) for the selected schools. It provides accurate geometrical representation of the school building elements in an integrated data environment. The iFaME application is integrated with the Revit BIM models and the STAR-APIC Elyx 3D software solution. With the development of the iFaME applications, the facility managers in the MoE could establish greater control over the space allocation and management, asset management, emergency planning, and other areas of facility management. The school managers and maintenance engineers are considered among the most beneficiaries from this application. The school managers will monitor the maintenance activities all the time, while the maintenance engineers will use the application as a container for maintenance orders, and on the same time to document what they accomplished on daily basis. The iFaME application will reduce the maintenance cost of school assets and facilities in addition to increase their efficiency.

Contamination of Residual Chlorine and Formation of Halogenated Hydrocarbons at the Vicinity of Desalination Plant in Kuwait

Seawater desalination is one of the major industrial activities along the coastline of Kuwait that poses profound environmental impact on the quality of seawater.This study focuses on investigating the potential contamination of biocides,volatile organic hydrocarbons(VOCs)and other halogenated hydrocarbons discharged from Az-Zour desalination plant.Chemical contamination by residual chlorine(RC)and some VOCs was detected in effluents from inside and at the vicinity of the plant.RC ranged between 0.15 and 0.49 mg/L while bromoform(CHBr3)was the highest of all the VOCs detected and ranged between 0.22 and 3.30μg/L.Benzinoides(benzene,toluene,xylene and ethylbenzene)were also detected at 0.1μg/L and 0.25μg/L.The levels of RC as measured in the vicinity of the Az-Zour plant are below the limit set up by Kuwait EPA.However,it still poses effects to the nearby aquatic life and therefore,it is important to lower the concentration of RC in the discharge effluent.

Inter-population variabilities in seed mass and germination of Panicum turgidum and Pennisetum divisum in the desert of Kuwait

Understanding variability in seed germination among populations is essential for planning an effective germplasm collection for restoration and conservation purposes.The knowledge of germination and dormancy patterns among populations of desert grasses is crucial for determining the potential of the species and populations to be used for restoration and conservation as well as forage production.Variability in seed germination of Panicum turgidum Forssk and Pennisetum divisum(Gmel.)Henr.in the desert of Kuwait was evaluated in different populations in May 2017.Experiment of seed germination(25 seeds and 4 replicates)was conducted for each population at night/day temperatures of 15℃/20℃and 20℃/30℃under the following light condition:continuous darkness or 12 h/12 h light/dark.Results showed that seed masses of both species strongly varied according to their seed provenances,and both species produced heavier seeds in population with a higher soil electrical conductivity.Seed germination percentage considerably varied between two species,and the variation in P.turgidum was greater(17%–49%)than that of P.divisum(72%–93%).Germination percentage in P.turgidum was greater at high temperature(20℃/30℃)than at low temperature(15℃/20℃).However,temperature regimes had no effect on germination percentage of P.divisum seeds.Mean germination time of both species exhibited significant inter-population variability.This result is especially relevant to assure the selection of the best population of each species and the regeneration success of the species.Besides this,inter-population variability also provides valuable information for enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate seed germination and how they might be related to seed provenance.

Influence of Land Degradation on the Local Rate of Dust Fallout in Kuwait

The rate of dust fallout was monitored during a period from August 2009 to July 2011 in protected (closed) and non-protected/open (unenclosed) areas in the northern desert of Kuwait. The dust fallout rates on degraded and protected sites were on average 18.8 and 44.1 g·m-2·month-1, respectively. Higher rate of dust fallout in protected area may be attributed to biologic factors that are responsible for relative abundance of fine-grained sediment accumulations (Mostly silty sand). Wind deflation of fine grained sediment fractions and development of coarse-grained surface lag deposits in degraded area may be accountable for the reduction of its potentiality for suspended dust. The study indicates the importance of the vegetation cover in regulating sediment availability for atmospheric dust emission.

GIS as an Efficient Tool to Manage Educational Services and Infrastructure in Kuwait

The State of Kuwait Ministry of Education (MoE) has clearly defined land use standards for the location of public schools, and an inventory of reserved lands for future facilities. Unless, there is a geographical efficient tool to manage and plan the education system in a rapidly developing country such as Kuwait there will be huge deficit in such services. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to fill in this gap and effectively evaluate and analyze their facilities and unoccupied lands to ensure they continue to meet the population and future needs of Kuwaiti students. This paper utilized the GIS to inventory, map, and analyze MoE facilities and unoccupied land reservations with a goal of improved planning and decision making. Unfortunately, the initial spatial analysis of the data showed huge percent of districts that have no schools failing to meet the minimum standard of the MoE including kindergartens, primary schools, intermediate schools for girls, intermediate schools for boys, secondary schools for girls and secondary schools for boys at 72%, 71%, 48%, 43%, 54%, and 55% respectively. Such critical results will enable the decision makers to prioritize the immediate action of relocation the schools or widen the services and accessibility. Moreover, the analysis of the data showed a critical and immediate need to reserve land for five districts where they are heavily populated and lacked reserved land. However, based on long term land use plans, there is an urgent need to relocate some land and reserve others to meet the future urbanization plans and population growth.

Comparative Analysis of Produced Water Collected from Different Oil Gathering Centers in Kuwait

Kuwait is one of the major oil-producing countries, with an estimated oil production of around three million barrels/day. Increased oil production has resulted in the production of large amounts of produced water, which is a major problem for Kuwait Oil Company. Kuwait Oil Company generates large amounts of produced water daily and thus deserves special attention. A study of the characteristics of the produced water will determine how it can be treated and later used for irrigation or disposed without harming the environment. In this paper, samples of produced water from different oilfields in Kuwait were collected, and physiochemical analyses were carried out. The salt content, TDS and other physical characteristics of the Kuwait produced water samples were compared with those of other produced water samples from different oil-producing countries.

Effect of Brine Disposal on Seawater Quality at Az-Zour Desalination Plant in Kuwait:Physical and Chemical Properties

Seawater desalination has become the only viable source of fresh water for Kuwait.However,desalination plants could have several impacts on the surrounding marine environment.The major concern of these impacts surrounds the outfall effluent discharge because of its physical and chemical features including high temperature and salinity associated with residual chemicals used in the pretreatment process.In this study assessment of potential impact of Az-Zour desalination plant discharge effluent on marine environment was carried out.The assessment consisted of field measurements and numerical modelling of effluent dispersion.The results revealed a potential impact by temperature and salinity between 4 and 6 oC and 2-4 ppt above ambient and mean levels for Kuwait seawater.The predictions of hydrodynamic modelling show that the plume from the outfall runs parallel to the shoreline and the influenced area can reach to about 40 km^2.

Assessment of Wastewater Reuse in Kuwait and Its Impact on Amounts of Pollutants Discharged into the Sea

Kuwait has recently implemented a vigorous campaign that aims to reclaim and reuse all treated wastewater in an at- tempt to alleviate water scarcity problem and to preserve seawater quality. This paper assesses the present status of wastewater treatment, reclamation and reuse in Kuwait, and discusses the impact of wastewater reuse on the amounts of pollutants discharged into the sea. Through analysis of the historical records of the wastewater treatment plants, it has been found that reuse of reclaimed wastewater in Kuwait has greatly reduced the amounts of pollutants discharged into the sea. Results showed that more than 50% reduction in volumes of wastewater discharged into the sea had been achieved from year 2000 to year 2010. However, this study has predicted that the amounts of wastewater discharged into the sea will start increasing again by the year 2020 due to shortages of storage capacity for reclaimed wastewater and due to the limitation of wastewater reuse applications to basically agricultural and landscape irrigations. In contrary, the on-going works and future plans of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) are expected to overcome this problem and lead to a zero discharge of wastewater into the sea.

Cascaded Simultaneous Nitrification and Denitrification Process for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Reduction from RO Reject Wastewater： A Bench-Scale Study

The use of the reverse osmosis （RO） process, for refining secondary or tertiary effluent from plants treating domestic wastewater, is rapidly increasing. However, the disposal of the RO reject water poses a problem due to the presence of very high concentrations of salts, metals, and nutrients in it. This paper contains results of a bench-scale study aimed at reducing nutrients from RO-discarded streams utilizing a sequential bioreactors system, under partial aerobic and anoxic conditions. The tests were performed on synthetic wastewater resembling RO-reject water of an operating treatment plant, with glucose, methanol or acetate added to the water as sources of carbon. Study results indicate that the RO process removed about 50-60% of the total nitrogen and 50% of the phosphate; it reduced chemical oxygen demand （COD） by 79 to 82%, and affected no change in the metal concentrations. A clear cut removal preference for any one of the external carbon sources was not observed, although a slight advantage of glucose and methanol was recorded. The process maintained about 20% of the rector volume in the anoxic environment.

Field experiments to improve the efficacy of gargoor (fish trap) fishery in Kuwait's waters

Fish traps were investigated to understand the effects of season, bait type, trap size, and trap soak time on catch rates, catch composition, and trap loss rates from March 2004 to September 2005, to improve the performance and management of Kuwait＇s gargoor （cage style fish trap） fishery, which used to be the nation＇s most important one in terms of value and landings volume. Catch rates were the highest in April/May （5 8 kg/trap haul） and again in December （7 kg/trap haul）. Bait type and trap size also affected catch rates and species composition. Of the seven baits tested, the best catch rates, 〉5 kg/trap haul, occurred with cuttlefish （Sepia pharaonis）, but wolf-herring （Chiroeentrus dorab） and mullet （Liza klunzingeri） also produced good results （4-5 kg/trap haul）. Within the five tested sizes, the two largest-sized traps captured more fish and larger size fish. Analysis of variance （ANOVA） showed significant differences of catch rate among traps with different baits as well as among traps of different sizes. Duncan test further revealed these differences between two specific baits and sizes. Cluster Analysis of species composition showed more differences among different baits than among different trap sizes. Longer soak times did not result in larger catch rates, but increased trap loss. About 10-day soak time resulted in trap loss 7%, while 40-day soak time could result in a loss of around 20%. Consequently, it is recommended that the gargoor be checked every 10 or fewer days. The average overall catch rate during the study period was lower than that of 1980s （4.5 vs. 5.8 kg/trap haul）, indicating a possible decline offish abundance in Kuwait＇s waters. It is recommended that the number of gargoor fishing boats and gargoors from each boat should be limited to allow stock rehabilitation.

Development of Different Strategies for the Clean-Up of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Congeners Using Pressurized Liquid Extraction

The extracted fish samples (w/w) using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) were cleaned up by applying different adsorbent materials such as: combination of acidic/ basic silica and alumina, florisil, and silica gel either alone or in combination with another sort of sorbent. Different solvents such as hexane (H), dichloromethane (DCM), with different compositions were used to elute the PCBs target compounds from the spiked fish samples. Overall the mean percentage recoveries for all PCBs congeners using PLE were ranging from 78.6% to 98.7%;from 79.4% to 91.8%;from 65.8% to 104.5% and from 82.4% to 100.9% for cases A, B, C, D and E, respectively. However, the overall mean percentage recoveries for the 13C-PCBs surrogate including: 101, 138, 153, 180 and 209 were ranging from 88.2% to 97.6%;from 79.4% to 90.2%, from 88.3% to 96.4%, from 79.8% to 90.4% and from 83.9% to 95.9%, for cases A, B, C, D and E, respectively. The limits of detection of the proposed method were varied from 0.01 to 0.28 ng/g (w/w) for different PCBs congeners. The proposed method has linear dynamic range from 21.5 ng/g to 109 ng/g. This method was applied to fish samples for the determination of the target PCBs components.

Blue and Grey Water Footprints of Dairy Farms in Kuwait

In Kuwait, dairy farming faces challenges due to its significant water demands. The current study assessed seasonal patterns of water use to estimate the blue water footprint (WF) and grey WF per kg of fat protein corrected milk (FPCM) for confined dairy farming systems in Kuwait. Blue and grey WFs were evaluated using data from three operational farms. The average blue WF (L·kg-1 FPCM) was estimated to be 54.5 ± 4.0 L·kg-1 in summer and 19.2 ± 0.8 L·kg-1 in winter. The average grey WF (generated from milk house wastewater) was assessed on bimonthly basis and determined based on its phosphate (PO4) concentration (82.2 ± 14.3 mg·L-1) which is the most limiting factor to be 23.0 ± 9.0 L·kg-1 FPCM d-1. The outcomes indicate that enhancing the performance of dairy cows and adopting alternative water management strategies can play a role in minimizing the impacts of confined dairy farming systems in Kuwait on water quality and quantity.

Levels of Trace Metals and Hydrocarbons Generated from Seawater Desalination Plant in the Sediment of Kuwait Marine Area

Kuwait has adopted a dual system in which large-scale desalination plants are coupled to the power generation plants.These dual systems are located on the coastline and utilize huge amount of water for distillation and cooling.As a result,large volume of brine is produced which disposed back into the Gulf with an increase in temperature over the seawater ambient temperature.This brine is also loaded with chemicals used in the pretreatment stages and trace metals.The increases in desalination activities in Kuwait raise concerns over potential negative impacts on the coastal marine environment.In the study,sediment samples were collected from19stations in summer and spring seasons.The samples were analyzed for metals and hydrocarbons concentrations.The results revealed that the concentration of all analyzed metals at the vicinity of Az-zour desalination plant were relatively low and ascribed within the limits of unpolluted areas.The results also showed that the contamination by Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons(TPH)and Total Organic Carbon(TOC)in sediments from the investigated area was relatively low and did not indicate high contamination with petroleum near the plant.

Mutated Barley: A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Food Security and Biodiversity Management

Increased agricultural production under the harsh environmental conditions with limited water resources and scarce natural resources is a major challenge in arid regions like Kuwait. The implementation of sustainable agricultural practices holds paramount importance in delivering better agricultural environment for increased production. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is one among the most dependable cereal crops under saline and drought conditions. Mutant barley genotypes that have evolved under stress conditions using the improved genetic resources have the desired morphological, physiological and agronomic traits. As Kuwait lack local barley genotypes, it is important to find suitable barley genotypes adaptable to drought and salinity, with high crop water productivity. In this study, several mutant barley varieties were screened for better performance under drought and salinity, with high feed quality. The growth performance and the nutritive value of twelve different barley cultivars were evaluated under both fresh and brackish water irrigation in Kuwait. The seeds of the superior lines were multiplied for fodder production trials and their nutritive value was evaluated in animal production systems. It was found that two parental lines Gustoe and California Marriot and two mutant barley genotypes ari-e.228 and Golden Promise produced high grain yield of 3 - 4 ton/ha. The mutant genotype Golden Promise was the most tolerant, while ari-e.156 was the most susceptible genotype to saline stress. Both proximate analysis and animal feeding trial showed that the dry matter content of the air dry straws varied from 91.26% to 93.35%. The crude fat contents were within the acceptable range (1.13% to 1.93%), and high concentrations of ash and crude protein were found in straw in all genotypes. Thus, the evolution of farming systems that are economically viable, competitive, sustainable and environmental friendly improves the production efficiency, productivity and product quality of various crops.

Analysis of Sludge Settling and Rising Behavior in Sewage Treatment Plant in Kuwait

All wastewater treatment plants in Kuwait utilize the activated sludge processes in the removal of organic matter and nutrients from domestic sewage.The efficiency of solid liquid separation in the activated sludge system is determined by the ability of sludge constituents to remain flocculated and to settle fast.In Kuwait’s wastewater treatment plants,solids separation problems may occur in activated sludge system,such as bulking sludge,which affects the quality of the secondary effluent.The main aim of this paper is to study and analyze sludge settling and rising behavior in the activated sludge process of Jahra sewage treatment plant.The results indicated that clarifier effluent has significant suspended solids carry-over,which is eventually removed in the sand filtration process.In addition,test results showed poor settlement of clarifier sludge.The poor sludge settling is related to insufficient oxygen level in the aerators.Suggestions were made to raise oxygen level particularly in the aeration unit.

Cost Evaluation of Compact Dairy Wastewater Treatment System in Kuwait

In Kuwait, wastewater management has gained extra attention in recent years and becomes crucial for sustainable industrial development sector. Among the food industry sector, dairy processing plants generate huge amount of wastewater, which is heavily loaded with organic and other toxic compounds. Disposal of dairy wastewater effluent without sufficient treatment can contaminate aquatic ecosystems. Cost efficient treatment processes that are effective in removing organic load and other contaminants are essential to meet stringent environmental regulations applied in Kuwait. A research study was carried out at the KISR （Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research） to assess the technical viability and economic feasibility of combined microfiltration and biological treatment system. This work presents the economic evaluation of the adopted treatment system. The results show that the cost of the integrated system for large scale is estimated to be US$ 1.575/m3, which is 25% less than the cost of wastewater transportation and treatment in conventional sewage plants.

Thermal, Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Low Density/Linear Low Density Polyethylene Blend for Packing Application

Packaging is the subject of considerable commercial development by a variety of organizations around the world. In this study the mechanical, thermal and rheological properties were investigated for different blend ratios of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). The weight percent of the LDPEs used in the blends were 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90. The polymer blends were prepared in a twin screw extruder to produce a thin sheet (1-mm thickness) similar to the packaging grade. Tensile results showed that the 50/50 composition exhibited the highest stress at break, where the differential scanning calorimetry results indicated a co-crystalline phase in some blends. The results produced by the rheometer revealed the LLDPE effect over the complex viscosity and consequently blend easy processing. The present study conclusively demonstrates that at low weight percent of linear low density polyethylene in the blend displays better properties for packaging application.