Saudi_Arabian_Environmental_Laws沙特阿拉伯环境法

SaudiArabianEnvironmentalLawsJune20041.IntroductionWiththelargestreservesofpetroleumintheworld,theSaudiArabianoilandpetrochemicalindustriesareimpressiveintermsoftheirsizeandtherevenuestheyproduce.However,thescaleoftheseindustriesexposesthecountrytoenvironmentalhazards-suchasairpollutionfromcarbonemissions,andlandandwaterpollutionfromoilspills.Therefore,itisnotsurprisingthatenvironmentalprotectioninSaudiArabiaistakenveryseriously.2.SomeexamplesofSaudiArabia'sEnvironmentalLawsAsawarenessofenvironmentalissueshasincreased,SaudiArabianenvironmentallawshavedeveloped.Suchdevelopmenthaspreviouslybeenpiecemealwithenvironmentallawsadoptedonanad-hocbasis.Thisisevidentfromthefactthatenvironmentallawsareeithercontainedinlawsrelatingtoothersubstantiveissues,oradoptedbyratifyingorsigninginternational/regionalconventionsregardingcertainspecificenvironmentalissues.ThefollowingareexamplesofsomeofSaudiArabia'senvironmentallaws:TheBasicLaw(commonlyreferredtoastheconstitutionofSaudiArabia)In1992SaudiArabiaadoptedtheBasicLawsettingoutthesystemofgovernmentforthecountryandtheobligationsofthegovernmenttothepeopleofSaudiArabia.Article32oftheBasicLawstatesthat,Thestateworksforthepreservation,protection,andimprovementoftheenvironment,andforthepreventionofpollution.TheRedSeaandGulfofAdenSaudiArabiaisasignatorytothe1992RegionalConventionfortheConservationoftheRedSeaandGulfofAdenEnvironment(commonlyreferredtoastheJeddahConvention).TheJeddahConventionseeks,inbroadterms,topreserveandprotectthespecialhydrographicandecologicalcharacteristicsofthemarineenvironmentoftheRedSeaandGulfofAden.TheArabianGulfOn23April1978,SaudiArabiaparticipatedinaregionalconferenceofplenipotentiariesontheprotectionanddevelopmentofthemarineenvironmentandthecoastalareasofBahrain,Iran,Iraq,Kuwait,Oman,Qatar,SaudiArabiaandtheUnitedArabEmirates.TheconferenceadoptedtheActionPlanfortheProtectionandDevelopmentoftheMarineEnvironmentandtheCoastalAreas,theKuwaitRegionalConventionforCo-operationontheProtectionoftheMarineEnvironmentfromPollution,andtheProtocolconcerningRegionalCo-operationinCombatingPollutionbyOilandotherHarmfulSubstancesinCasesofEmergency.SeaSaudiArabiaisasignatorytotheUnitedNationsConventionoftheLawoftheSea,whichprovidesforauniversallegalframeworkfortherationalmanagementofmarineresourcesandtheirconservationforfuturegenerations.AirSaudiArabiaisasignatorytothe1985ViennaConventionfortheProtectionoftheOzonelayer,whichseekstoprotecthumanhealthandtheenvironmentagainstadverseeffectstothemodificationoftheozonelayer.SaudiArabiaisasignatorytotheMontrealProtocol,whichcallsforphasingoutchlorofluorocarbon(CFC)gases(harmfultotheozonelayer)by2010.However,undertheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange,SaudiArabia,asanon-AnnexIcountry,isnotrequiredtoreduceitsemissionsbelow1990levels.AlthoughSaudiArabiaratifiedtheConvention,itisnotasignatorytotheKyotoProtocol.ForestandWildlifeThereareseveralregulationswhichdealwiththepreservationofforestareasandwildlifegenerally.PetrochemicalindustryTheRoyalCommissionforJubailandYanbuhasdevisedanenvironmentalstandardtowhichallindustriesoperatingintheindustrialcitiesofJubailandYanbumustcomply.ThesestandardsareconsideredtobequitestringentastheyarebasedonEuropeanandUSstandards.MovementofwasteSaudiArabiaisasignatorytothe1989BaselConventionontheControlofTransboundaryMovementsofHazardousWastesandtheirDisposal.LabourlawTheSaudiArabianlabourlawcontainsprovisionsdesignedtoprotectworkersagainstenvironmentalhazards.IslamiclawIslamiclawhastheforceoflawinSaudiArabia.ThetwomainsourcesofIslamiclawaretheQur'an,andtheauthenticsayingsoftheProphetMohammed(maypeaceandblessingbeuponhim)knownasthehadith.ThroughouttheQur'anandhadiththerearemanygeneralreferencestotheenvironment(ieanimals,plants,mountains,seasetc),whichareallconsideredtobeblessingsfromAllah.Islamiclawgenerallyrequiresthattheenvironmentbeprotected,insofarasanimalsmustbetreatedwithkindness,andlandmustbeutilizedsensibly.Forspecificwantondamagetotheenvironmentthereareprescribedpunishments.3.PublicEnvironmentalLawThePublicEnvironmentalLawwasenactedbyRoyalDecreeNo.M/34dated28/7/1422Hejri(correspondingto16October2001),andwaspublishedintheOfficialGazettenumber3868dated24/8/1422Hejri(correspondingto9November2001).ThePublicEnvironmentalLawcreatesageneralregulatoryframeworkforthedevelopmentandenforcementofenvironmentalrulesandregulations,andassignsgeneralresponsibilityforthistothePresidencyofMeteorologyandEnvironmentalProtection(the'PME').Amongstothermatters,thePMEisresponsiblefor:conductingenvironmentalstudies;documentingandpublishingtheresultsofanyenvironmentalstudies;preparing,issuingandreviewingrelevantenvironmentalstandards;ensuringcompliancewithrelevantenvironmentalstandards;workinginconjunctionwithothergovernmentagencies,establishingplanstodealwithenvironmentalcatastrophes;promotinggeneralawarenessforprotectingtheenvironment;andworkinginconjunctionwithothergovernmentagencies,dealingwithviolationsofapplicableenvironmentalstandards.ThePublicEnvironmentalLawanticipatesthatthePMEwillco-ordinat