SAVE OUR WATER

Use only as much water as you need when washing.

Keep your showers short.

Try not to turn the tap on full.

Fill the sink with water when washing dishes rather than leaving the tap running.

Did you know that if you leave the tap running when you brush your teeth you could easily use more than 20 litres of water?

Turn off dripping taps.

Make sure that leaking pipes or taps are fixed quickly.

Make sure the garden hose is used properly.

Water plants at night or early in the morning as water evaporates much more quickly during the day.

Use a bucket to wash your car instead of a hose.

Use a broom to sweep away leaves rather than a hose to wash them away.

Do not throw away water you can use to water plants.

Use a bowl when rinsing fruit or vegetables and reuse the water in your garden.

Put a bucket under a dripping air conditioning unit and use what you collect to water plants.

KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN

Use falaj water properly.

You may be endangering the health of those that drink falaj water downstream if you use water upstream for washing.

Keep falaj water free from rubbish.

Cans can rust and pollute the water.

If you see anyone else throwing rubbish in aflaj tell them to stop!

Look after well water.

If rubbish is thrown into wells (even disused wells) water supplies deeper in the ground may become contaminated.

Boil water if you think it is not safe to drink.

Cloudy water and water that smells mad may be polluted. If it is boiled it will be safer to use.

Help prevent the spread of malaria.

Puddles of rainwater attract mosquitoes which may carry malaria.

Fill in puddles with soil or sand.

Keep an eye on your septic or holding tank.

Make sure that your septic tank is not blocked so that sewage can drain through it properly.

Do not flush rubbish down the toilet. Water is wasted and some items may block drains causing sewage to overflow.

Dispose of household chemicals and used oil properly.

If these chemicals are poured into the ground they could seep into groundwater supplies and pollute our drinking water.

Contact the municipality for advice on safe disposal of products you are unsure of.

SAVE ENERGY

Only turn on lights when you need them.

Use natural daylight instead of turning on lights.

Switch off lights when you leave a room

Turn off the television when you have finished watching it.

Turn off your computer monitor when not using it.

Many people don’t want to turn off their computer systems completely as they use them so often. By just turning off the monitor you are saving 60% of the energy used in the whole system!

Use your air conditioning efficiently.

Turn off individual air conditioning units in rooms you are not using.

Keep doors closed when air conditioning is on.

Switch off water heaters when if the whole family is going on holiday.

Help conserve petrol.

Avoid unnecessary car trips.

Keep to the speed limit - more petrol is used at higher speeds.

MINIMISE WASTE

Avoid individually packed items.

Buy products in bulk rather than in individual containers. It is also cheaper to buy in bulk.

Avoid disposable items.

Try not to use disposable paper plates and cups. It is always better to use those that you can wash and use again and again.

Reuse paper.

Avoid aerosol cans that do not carry the ozone-friendly sign.

Reuse plastic bags.

Avoid throwing away plastic bags unnecessarily.

Take plastic bags with you when you go shopping and reuse them for packing.

Use plastic bags you have around the house for rubbish.

Buy our ESO reusable canvas bags.

These can be bought at the Al Fair in Madinat Qaboos for RO 3 each.

They can also be used as a beach bag or for purposes other than shopping.

Make sure that the bags are kept in your car so that you don’t forget them when you go to the supermarket.

All money raised from sales of ESO canvas bags goes straight back into our Plastic Bag Campaign (see Projects section of website)

Pass on clothes and toys.

Buy toys that will last.

Give away toys and clothes to charitable organizations

Say “No” to plastic bags if you do not need them.

Shops often provide plastic bags, even for just one or two items. Make sure that you tell shop clerks that you do not need a bag.

KEEP OMAN CLEAN

Throw household rubbish and litter away in rubbish bins.

Make sure that rubbish is thrown in municipal bins so that it can be collected.

Litter can harm animals. Broken glass and cans can cut animals searching for food. Litter on the beach may be carried out to sea and harm coral reefs and floating plastic bags can choke turtles.

Keep a bag or small bin in your car that you can empty later. Do not throw rubbish out of car windows!

If you see other people throwing litter, tell them to stop!

Dispose of rubbish properly.

Always put your rubbish in rubbish bags before disposing of them in municipal bins. This makes it easier for municipal staff to collect rubbish and prevents the spread of disease.

Make sure that rubbish is put inside, not beside, the municipal bins

Play an active role in keeping your town clean.

Help keep your local beaches or wadis clean by organizing your own clean ups. Your municipal office will help dispose of the collected rubbish.

Join ESO organized clean ups.

Do not let your children play near rubbish which attracts rats, flies and other disease-carrying pests.

LOOK AFTER LAND

Keep to graded roads when possible.

When you drive off road the wheels of your car compact the ground and crush plants.

Leave plants to grow.

If you see a wild plant or flower leave it to grow.

Plant a tree.

Ensure that if you do plant a tree it is always best to plant local/native species because they do not require much water and you will not be introducing a potentially invasive species into the environment.

Try to learn more about plant life in Oman.

Try to visit the Natural History Museum in Al Khuwair. Many of Oman’s trees have been planted outside the Museum and the name of each is given.

HELP PROTECT OMAN’S WILDLIFE

Do not hunt or disturb wild species.

Do not take eggs from wild birds’ nests.

Make your own bird sanctuary.

You can encourage birds to visit your garden by putting gout a shallow tray of water for them to drink and bath in. For food, try putting out orange peels and some nuts from a local tree.

Try to learn more about wildlife in Oman.

Visit the Natural History Museum.

Read books on Oman’s wildlife such as “Butterflies of Oman”, “Wildlife of Oman” and “The Birds of Oman”.

Avoid frightening turtles coming ashore beaches.

Do not use flashlights at beaches where turtles nest. Baby turtles are confused by lights and wander inland instead of going to the sea.

Avoid disturbing turtles when they are laying their eggs.

Once onshore turtles are easily disturbed and may return to the sea without laying any eggs.

Do not take any turtle eggs!

Do not leave litter or drive on beaches.

If cars drive on turtle beaches they may crush eggs that have been buried below and will compact the soft sand, making it difficult for turtles to nest.

Litter on turtle beaches can make it difficult for baby turtles to reach the surface.

Try to visit Ra’s al Hadd.

Ra’s al Hadd is visited by hundreds of turtles and is a great place to watch turtles.

Permits must be obtained from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources

Follow the strict guidelines which can be obtained by wardens at Ra’s al Hadd when watching the turtles.

Avoid damaging coral and do not collect pieces of coral.

Collecting coral is prohibited by law in Oman!

Ensure that you do not anchor boats on coral reefs as they are easily damaged.

Avoid collecting live shells which are usually homes to tiny creatures.

Learn more about Oman’s marine life.

Visit the Marine Science and Fisheries Center (between Sidab and Al Bustan village). The Center has a small aquarium with many fish species found in the waters of Oman.

EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Enter environmental competitions.

Every year the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources organizes a national painting competition on the environment for all school children in Oman.

Write to the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources with your questions and comments.

Your letter can be addressed to:
Department of Awareness and Guidance
Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources
P.O.Box 323, Postal Code 113
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman

Become a member of the Environment Society of Oman and get involved with projects helping to promote the conservation of Oman’s environment!

Pass these tips on to family, friends and colleagues!