Policies and Legislations

The Sultanate of Oman has issued a series of laws, policies and regulations outlining the necessary procedures for managing and protecting ecosystems. These are reflected in the following chronological sequence:

Environmental Laws

  • Marine Pollution Prevention Law (Royal Decree 34/74).
  • Authorizing signing of the Kuwait Regional Convention for Cooperation on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution and its protocols (Royal Decree 23/78).
  • National Parks and Nature Reserves Law (Royal Decree 26/79).
  • Marine Fisheries and Protection of Living Aquatic Resources Law (Royal Decree 53/81).
  • Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Law (Royal Decree 10/82).
  • Approving Oman’s accession to the Protocol for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution from Land-Based Sources (Royal Decree 90/91).
  • The Regulation on the Handling and Use of Chemicals (Royal Decree 46/95).
  • Water Resources Protection Law (Royal Decree 29/2000).
  • Returning Plants Protection Law (Royal Decree 92/2000).
  • Protection of the Environment and Prevention of Pollution Law (Royal Decree 114/2001).
  • Nature Reserves and Wildlife Conservation Law (Royal Decree 6/2003).
  • Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Royal Decree 107/2004).
  • Regulating Wildlife Trafficking Law (Royal Decree 45/2024).

Policies and Legislations

  • Regulation on the Registration and Permits of Hazardous Chemicals (1997).
  • Regulation on Ozone Layer Protection (2013).
  • Ban on Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags (2020).
  • Regulation on Waste Export (2021).
  • Regulation on Radiation Protection, Security and Safety of Radiological and Nuclear Materials (2023).
  • Regulation on Hazardous Chemicals (2023).
  • Oman Vision, 2040.
  • National Water Resources Master Plan, 2040.
  • Oman Energy Master Plan, 2040.
  • National Energy Strategy 2040.
  • National Food Security Strategy.
  • Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, 2040.
  • Oman Fisheries Development Strategy, 2020.
  • National Strategy for the Use of Treated Wastewater, 2040.
  • Oman Tourism Strategy, 2040.
  • Oman National Spatial Strategy, 2040.
  • National Strategy for Adaptation and Mitigation of Climate Change, 2020–2040.

Agreements and Organizations

  • United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (1996).
  • Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1998).
  • Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (1999).
  • Convention on Wildlife and Its Natural Habitats in GCC (2002).
  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2004).
  • Kyoto Protocol (2005).
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (2007).
  • Oman’s accession to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (2020).
  • Oman’s accession to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization (2020).
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