Oman ranks 2nd among GCC and Middle East in Environmental Performance Index 2024

Muscat: Statistics from the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) show that the Sultanate of Oman took second place among GCC states and that it occupied second position in the Middle East.

This was unveiled by the Centre for Environmental Law and Policy at the University of Yale in the United States.

Oman advanced 99 places. Its score in the EPI stood at 51.9 points out of 100. This places Oman in the 50th position, up from the 149th position in 2022 from among 180 world countries. This will reflect positively on various ratings in the development sectors, notably economic sectors.

The EPI focuses mainly on the vitality of ecosystems. It measures the extent to which countries succeed in preserving, protecting, and enhancing ecosystems, as well as the services that the countries provide.

The vitality of ecosystems comprises 42 percent of the total score of the index as a whole. It consists of 6 categories covering different aspects: habitat and biodiversity, ecosystem services, fishing areas, acidic rains, agriculture and water resources.

The index also measures the extent to which countries implement environmental health policy objectives in protecting their populations from environmental health risks. This aspect comprises 20 percent of the total index score as a whole and it consists of 4 segments: air quality, drinking water and sanitation, heavy metals and waste management.

Represented by the Environment Authority and other relevant bodies, Oman took steps to achieve standards set for the "quality of ecosystems" pillar, which deals with the protection and optimal management of biodiversity.

The "quality of ecosystems" pillar comprises about 42 percent of the total weight of sub-indices. The issuance of Royal decrees to announce new natural reserves had a significant impact on raising Oman’s rating. As a result, the total number of reserves in the Sultanate of Oman grew to about 30. The decrees also helped raise the number of sites focusing on biodiversity to more than 25 sites.

The Environment Authority has also made efforts to effectively manage the nature reserves and provide specialised staff, infrastructure and means of relocation that helped eliminate more than one million alien and invasive birds. In addition, the Environment Authority endorsed initiatives to rehabilitate and protect threatened species, achieve land reclamation and combat desertification.