November 6 stands as a shining milestone in Kuwait’s modern history — an enduring reminder of how national unity and love for the homeland can achieve the extraordinary.

It marks the anniversary of extinguishing the last oil well fire ignited by the brutal Iraqi invasion, a feat that demonstrated Kuwait’s resilience and determination to rebuild from devastation.

From the heart of one of the worst environmental disasters in modern history, Kuwait emerged as a regional leader in environmental protection and the promotion of Arab environmental awareness.

The nation turned its painful experience into a powerful lesson for the world — proving that from crisis can come responsibility, and from destruction can arise renewal that safeguards the environment and the future of generations to come.

Environmentalists have long referred to the disaster as the “Gulf Tragedy,” which underscored the importance of placing biodiversity and ecological balance at the center of sustainable development efforts.

Following the Iraqi invasion of 1990, hundreds of oil wells were deliberately set ablaze, filling the skies with thick black smoke and plunging the Gulf region into an environmental catastrophe of historic proportions. Yet, against all odds, the Kuwaiti people — driven by courage and expertise — managed to extinguish the fires within months. The last flame was put out on November 6, 1991, defying global expectations that the inferno would burn for years.

This remarkable accomplishment was not merely a technical or engineering success; it symbolized the birth of a new era of environmental consciousness in Kuwait and across the Arab world.

Out of this harsh experience, the Kuwait Environmental Protection Society called for global recognition of the environmental toll of wars and conflicts. The Society proposed the creation of an international day to remind the world of the need to protect nature from the ravages of war — a proposal that garnered strong official backing from Kuwait.

The initiative culminated in the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of Resolution 56/4 on November 5, 2001, designating November 6 — the day Kuwait extinguished its last oil well fire — as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. Since then, the occasion has carried both national pride and humanitarian significance, marked by a distinctly Kuwaiti legacy.

The broader region has paid a steep price for decades of wars and conflicts — its infrastructure shattered, water sources contaminated, soil poisoned, and ecosystems severely damaged.

Confronted with these challenges, Kuwait has reaffirmed its role as an Arab hub for promoting collective environmental action. The country continues to champion the belief that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility that extends beyond governments to include civil society, the media, and individuals alike.

In this spirit, and with the support of the General Union of Arab Producers, Kuwait established the General Secretariat for Environment and Sustainable Development in December 2017.

The Secretariat serves as a unified Arab platform for environmental media, dedicated to raising awareness, producing specialized content, and promoting a culture of sustainability. Through educational programming and awareness campaigns, it seeks to highlight the efforts of Arab nations in combating pollution and protecting the planet for future generations.

From the ashes of destruction, Kuwait has built an enduring legacy — one that continues to inspire the region and the world with its message that resilience, responsibility, and unity can turn even the darkest tragedy into a beacon of hope for humanity and the environment.