WATER SAFETY STRATEGYDeveloped in Bahrain for promoting safe enjoyment of water, building cohesive communities, enabling economic development and saving lives.

About us

2 AboutRoyalLifeSavingBahrain

3 OurBoardMembers

4 Ourlifewithwater

6 Challengesweface

7 Ourgoalstoachieve

Strategy

8 Ourstrategiestoimplement

10 Teachpeoplefoundationskillsforswimmingandwatersafety

12 Providesafebeaches,poolsandotherlocationsforrecreationinwater

14 Trainpeopleinfirstaidandresuscitation

The launch of the Water Safety Strategy is a crucial step to making the surrounding waters of Bahrain safer for citizens and visitors alike.

Asanislandnation,waterisintegraltoournationalheritage.Wemustembracethislegacybyprovidingopportunitiestolearnbasicswimmingandsafetyskills,whilstutilisingournaturalwaterassetstoimprovepublichealth,drivetourismandcreateemploymentopportunitiesforallBahrainis.

TheBoardofRoyalLifeSavingBahrainiscommittedtoensuringourorganisationsucceedsinbroadeningawarenessofthevalueofwaterandtheenvironment,improvingsafetystandardsandsupportingdevelopmentofrecreationalfacilitiesacrossour130kilometrecoastline.

Asanewlyestablishedorganisation,RoyalLifeSavingBahrainwillworktouniteourcommunities,institutionsandlocalleisureindustryunderasharedobjective:toeducateandadvocateasaferaquaticenvironmentforresidentsandtouristsinlinewithinternationalstandards.

Together,wecan–andarecommittedto–protectingfuturegenerationsandourenvironment.

H.H Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

President

MESSAGE FROM ROYAL LIFE SAVING BAHRAIN

Contents

16 Enableyouthdevelopment,volunteerismandcareersinlifesaving

18 Improvesafetyforboatingandotherpersonalwatercraft-basedrecreation

Our Activities

20 Researchandevaluation

20 Policyandregulation

21 Communication

One hundred and thirty kilometres of coastline, a maritime area 11 times larger than the land mass, 8 current and upcoming public beaches and sadly an average of 15 drowning deaths per year.

Whetherit’sa2,15,or45yearold,drowninghasbeenresponsiblefortakingtheirlivesinthisyearalone.Ifwethinkcarefully,eachoneofuswillrememberafataldrowningoraneardrowningincidentthataffectedourfamilies,ourfriendsorus.ItismorecommoninBahrainthanwethink.Itonlytakes20-60secondsandafewcentimetresofwaterforachildtodrownand3minutesforanadulttodrown.

EverylifeispreciousandastheQuranteachesus“thesavingofonelifeislikethesavingofmankind.”ItiswiththisresponsibilityinmindthatRoyalLifeSavingBahrainwasfounded.RoyalLifeSavingBahrainaimstodevelopacultureofswimmingandenjoymentofwater,promotevolunteerism,reducewater-relateddeathandinjury,enhancetheappealofwater-relatedtourismandfinallyfosterrespectforcoastlinesandmarinehabitats.

Thesegoalswillbeachievedbyworkingtogetherwiththecommunity,governmentandindustry.Afterall,thecommunityasawholeisresponsibleforsavingalife.Nomatterwhatprofessionwearein,wecanallmakeadifferenceasindividuals.TheWaterSafetyStrategywasdevisedinlinewithinternationalbestpracticeanditoutlinesthestepsthatneedtobetakeninordertoachieveourgoals.

OurIslamicheritagetellsustoteachourchildrenswimming,archeryandhorseridingandit’sourresponsibilitytodoso.Waterisanintricatepartofourheritage,ourpresentandourfuture.Asamother,aswimmerandacitizenofBahrain,Iwouldlikeourcountrytodevelopahealthybeachculture,safewaterways,promotetheenjoymentofwaterandstrengthenourcommunities.

H.H Shaikha Nayla bint Hamad bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa

Chairperson&Founder

“Teachyourchildrenswimming,archeryandhorseriding”

IslamicHeritage

“Thesavingofonelifeislikethesavingofallmankind”

Al-Maeda:5vs32

“ومن أحياها فكأنما أحيا الناس جميعا”

المائدة: ٣٢

“علموا أبناءكم السباحة والرماية وركوب الخيل”

التراث اإلسالمي

1

OUR BOARD MEMBERS

ABOUT ROYAL LIFE SAVING BAHRAIN

Government

e.g. health, civil defence, coast guard, education,

youth and tourism

Industry

e.g. hotels, leisure businesses and entrepreneurs

Community

e.g. volunteers, organisations and leaders

Our Vision

Topreventdrowningrelateddeathandinjuryandprosperfromourwaters

Our Mission

Topromotesafeenjoymentofrecreationinwater,buildcohesivecommunities,enableeconomicdevelopmentandsavelives

RoyalLifeSavingBahrain(RLSB)isacharityregisteredundertheMinistryofSocialDevelopment.RLSBissupportedbyLifeSavingBahrainManagementWLL(commercialregistrationnumber102436-1),whichhasbeenincorporatedtoundertakecommercialactivitiesrelatedtoRLSB.

RoyalLifeSavingBahrainwasestablishedinOctober2016.

WewillpartnerwithGovernment,industryandthecommunitytoachieveourvisionandmission.

RoyalLifeSavingBahrainisamemberoftheInternationalLifesavingFederation(ILS),theworldauthorityfordrowningprevention,lifesavingandlifesavingsport.

H.H Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

President

ChairmanoftheBoardofTrusteesoftheIsabinSalmanEducationalandCharityFund

H.H Shaikha Nayla bint Hamad bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa

Chairperson

Chairperson&FounderofRoyalLifeSavingBahrain

Shaikh Ahmed bin Isa Al Khalifa

Vice President

HeadofthePrivateOfficeofH.HSh.KhalifabinHamadAlKhalifa

Mrs. Hala Ali Husain Yateem

Secretary

BusinessWoman

Mr. Mohamed Khalil Ahmed Nass

Treasurer

CaptainattheMinistryofInterior

Mrs. Nirvana Abdulla Akbar Alireza

BusinessOwner

Mrs. Sawsan Ali Abdulla AlShaer

MediaAdvisor

Ms. Noora Hasan Al Nusuf

HeadofCorporateAffairsandBrand&Marketing-StandardCharteredBank

Dr. Husam Abdulaziz Mohamed Noor

ConsultantCardiologist

Ms. Haifa Salahuddin Abdulrahman Khonj

Lawyer

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OUR LIFE WITH WATER

11x 130KM OF COASTLINE AND A MARITIME AREA 11 TIMES LARGER THAN LAND AREA

74+HOTELS WITH POOLS

1,912 FISHERY BOATS REGISTERED

131SEASONAL PRIVATE POOLS

8+ PUBLIC BEACHES

8+MARINAS

33 ISLANDS

8,829 RECREATIONAL BOATS

Asanislandnation,ourlifestylesandinterestsdriveustodevelopbeaches,swimmingpools,waterparksandotherenvironmentswherewecanenjoywater-basedrecreation.Weengageinboatingandotheractivitiesthattakeusbeyondtheshores.Ourlifewithwaterispartofourheritage,ourhistoryandourfuture.

OUR HERITAGE AS A TRADING NATION

OUR MODERN DAY WATER SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

OUR HISTORY OF PEARLING

8+HOTELS WITH PRIVATE BEACHES

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Asanation,weendeavourtodevelopandsustainourlifewithwaterforgenerationstocome,whileharvestingvaluetodayforindividuals,communitiesbusinessesandGovernment.Ourendeavourbringstolightanumberofchallengesthatneedtobeaddressed.EachchallengealsopresentsanopportunityfordevelopmentwhichwillcontributetotheBahrain2030Vision.

CHALLENGES WE FACE

OUR GOALS TO ACHIEVE

DEVELOP A CULTURE OF SWIMMING AND ENJOYING WATER

Whereeveryonehastheopportunitytolearnbasicswimming,avitalskillthatcouldonedaysavealife,whileenablinglifelongenjoymentofwater.

ENHANCE THE APPEAL OF WATER RELATED TOURISM

Wherebeaches,swimmingpools,waterparksandwateractivitiesaremademoreappealingandsaferfortouristsandaremarketedasdistinctdestinationvaluepropositions.

FOSTER RESPECT FOR COASTLINES AND MARINE HABITATS

Wherepeopletakeprideinandvaluenaturalandman-madewaterenvironmentsandtakeownershipofcaringforandsustainingthem.

REDUCE WATER-RELATED DEATH AND INJURY

Wheretherearemorepeopleparticipatinginandenjoyingwater-basedrecreationwithagreaterfocusonsafety,resultinginfewerdrowning-relateddeathsandinjuries.

PROMOTE VOLUNTEERISM AND SOCIAL COHESION

Wherepeoplefromdiversebackgroundscometogetherwithasharednationalidentityandresponsibilitytodevelopthecommunityandprospertogether.

Wehaveidentifiedgoalsthatweneedtoachievetoaddressthechallengesweface:

Thechallengeswefaceinclude:

1 Welosemanylivestodrowning

3 Ourpeoplehavelimitedopportunitiestolearnbasicswimmingskills

2 Wehavealimitedfocusonmonitoringandanalysingdrowning-relateddeathandinjury

4 Ourchildrendon’tlearnbasicswimminginGovernmentschools

5 Ourpeoplehaveminimalunderstandingofhowtobesafein,onandaroundwater

6 Ourpeoplehaveminimalfirstaidknowledgefordealingwithemergenciesaroundwater

8 Ourwater-craftuserslackunderstandingandrespectforsafety

7 Ourvisitorsfromtheregionoftenlackskillsandknowledgeforsaferecreationinwater

9 Ourpublicbeacheshavenolifeguardservicesorothersafetymeasures

10 Ourhotelslackastandard-isedapproachtomanagingsafetyinswimmingpoolsandatbeaches

11 Wehaveanumberofprivatepools,withandwithoutlicences,wheresafetyneedstobeimproved

13 Weneedtoprovidemorecareandrespectforourbeachesandwaterenvironments

12 Ouryouthhavelimitedopportunitiesforemploymentinwater-relatedfields

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Wehaveidentifiedstrategiesthatweneedtoimplementtoachieveourgoals.Thesestrategiesarebasedonacombinationofinternationalbestpracticeandlocalcontext.Therearefiveindependentstrategiesandthreeactivitiesthatspanallstrategies.Eachstrategyandactivityisdetailedinthefollowingsections.

OUR STRATEGIES TO IMPLEMENT

Strategies

TEACH SWIMMING

Teachpeoplefoundationskills

forswimmingandwatersafety

TRAIN IN FIRST AID

Trainpeopleinfirstaidandresuscitation

DEVELOP LIFESAVING

PEOPLE

Enableyouthdevelopment,volunteerismandcareersin

lifesaving

IMPROVE BOATING SAFETY

Improvesafetyforboatingandotherwatercraft

recreation

Activities

PROVIDE SAFE LOCATIONS

Providesafebeaches,pools

andotherlocationsforrecreating

inwater

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

POLICY AND REGULATION

COMMUNICATION

8 9

People with foundation skills in swimming and water safety

People engaging in recreational swimming and

water-based activities

People engaging

in competitive swimming and

water-based activities

TEACH PEOPLE FOUNDATION SKILLS FOR SWIMMING AND WATER SAFETY

Overview:

Apersonwithfoundationskillsinswimmingandwatersafetycanexperiencelifelongsafeenjoymentofthewaterandisequippedwithbasicskillstokeepthemselvesandotherssafe.Theseskills(seeExampleofFoundationSkills)areessentialforchildrenandadultsalike.

Inadditiontoincreasingone’ssafetyinwater,havingfoundationskillsinswimmingenablesanindividualtoaccessarangeofwater-basedrecreationandcompetitionopportunitiesthatcancontributepositivelytotheirhealthandwell-being.Aswedevelopmoreyouthwithfoundationskillsinswimming,thereispotentialformoreyouthtoprogressfurtherandachieveexcellenceinsports–seeProgressionPathway.

NotonlywilltheseskillsprovidethepeopleofBahrainabroaderrangeofwaystoenjoythebestourislandnationhastooffer,itwillencourageagreaterrespectforthenaturalenvironmentandinstiladesiretomaintainclean,healthyspacesforeveryonetoenjoy.

IncreasingtheswimmingcapabilityofthepopulationisessentialforrealisingtheeconomicandtourismbenefitsthatflowfromdevelopingwatersafetyinBahrain.

Example of Foundation Skills:

Apersonwithfoundationswimmingandwatersafetyskillsshouldbeableto:

1 Demonstrateknowledgeassociatedwithsafetyin,onandaroundwater.

2 Float,scullandtreadwatercontinuouslyfor1minute

3 Swimcontinuouslyfor50metresonfrontand/orback

4 Performatalk,reachandthrowrescue

5 Performasurvivalsequence*

6 Demonstratebasicemergencyresponseskills

7 Demonstrateknowledgeofresponsibleuseofwaterenvironments

*Survival sequence is the ability to recover from a fall into water in clothes by a) rotating from lying face down to lying on back b) floating, sculling and treading water for one minute c) swimming 25 metres to a point of safety and d) securing oneself, climbing out and exiting.

12 LESSONS 12lessonsofanhoureachisanindicationofthetimeittakestolearnfoundationskillsinswimmingandwatersafety.

Our actions will include:

1 Conductingafeasibilitystudythatwill:assessthecurrentleveloffoundationskillsinswimmingandwatersafetyinBahrain;identifyanybarriersandopportunitiesforlearningtheseskills;runpilotswimmingprogrammes;andmakerelevantrecommendations.

2 Establishinganationalprogrammeforteachingfoundationswimmingandwatersafetyskills,tailoredspecificallytomeetBahrain’sneedswithafocusonrespectingtheenvironment.

3 Incorporatingthenationalprogrammeintotheprimaryschoolcurriculumfordeliverytoallstudents.

4 Developingamarketsolutionwherethenationalprogrammeisaffordableandwidelyavailabletothepublicandvisitors.

5 Utilisingexistingpublicswimmingpools,hotelpools,privatepools,proposedswimmingpoolsinyouthcentresanddemarcatedbeachareasasvenuesforconductingprogrammes.

6 Developingandpromotingpathwaysthatprogressstudentsfromlearningfoundationskillsthroughtorecreationalswimming,water-relatedactivitiesandlifesavingprogrammes.

Progression Pathway

Byprovidingmorepeoplewithfoundationskillsatthebaseofthepyramid,morepeopleinturnwillpotentiallygoontorecreationalswimmingandwater-basedactivities,whichwillpotentiallyleadtodevelopinggreaterinterestincompetitiveswimmingandwater-basedactivities.

SCHOOLS ARE IDEAL SETTINGS FOR ENGAGING CHILDREN IN FOUNDATION SWIMMING.

ADULTS ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM DROWNING AND SHOULD ALSO BE TAUGHT KEY FOUNDATION SWIMMING AND WATER-SAFETY SKILLS.

FOUNDATION SWIMMING AND WATER-SAFETY SKILLS CAN BE TAUGHT IN DEMARCATED BEACH AREAS.

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PROVIDE SAFE BEACHES, POOLS AND OTHER LOCATIONS FOR RECREATION IN WATER

Overview:

Bahrain’sclimateisperfectforyear-roundrecreationinwater.Providingsafervenueswillmaximisetheappealofwater-basedactivityforeveryone,whetherresidentsortouristsandparticularlyforpeoplewhoarelessconfidentorfamiliarinwater.

Bahrain’sbeachescanbemadesaferwithlifesavingserviceswherelifeguardswithrescueequipmentmarkareasforswimmingandkeepawatchfuleyeonpatrons.Signscanbeplacedonbeachestocommunicatesafetyinformationtopatrons.Lifeguardscanalsogivepatronsadviceonsafetyandprovidereal-timebeachinformationtootheragenciessuchastheCoastGuard.

LifesavingservicesatbeachescanbestandardisedthroughoutBahraintoprovideaconsistentserviceforvisitors.Informationonlifesavingservicelocationsandhourscanbecommunicatedon-siteandthroughtailor-madeapps,socialmediaandtraditionalmedia.

Safetyatcommercialswimmingpoolscanbemanagedsimilarlythroughstandardisedlifesavingservices.Safetyguidelinescanbesetforpooloperators,whichincludesafetyassessmentsthatareconductedtodeterminesite-specificsafetymeasuresforeachfacility.

InternationalstandardsafetyequipmentandlifeguardtrainingcanbemadeavailableinBahrain.Youthcanbeprovidedemploymentopportunitiesthroughtraininginbeachandpoollifeguardingandvolunteeropportunitiescanbecreatedformembersofthecommunityastrainedbeachlifeguards.

Safetyathomeorinprivateswimmingpoolsisalsocrucial,particularlyforchildrenagedunderfive.Theseareascanbemanagedbyprovidingownersandrenterswithguidelinesandtoolsformanagingsafety.Thisincludestheneedtorestrictaccesstopoolsthroughappropriatefencingandgatesandforactivesupervision.

Our actions will include:

1 Establishingnationalguidelinesforsafetyatbeaches,poolsandotherwaterrecreationlocationsandrequiringallwaterwayoperatorstocomplywiththeguidelines.

2 Providingserviceswherewaterwayoperatorscanaccessadviceandsupportoncomplyingwithnationalsafetyguidelines,lifeguardservices,lifesavingtrainingandequipment.

3 Ensuringcomplianceamongoperatorsbyusingguidelines,independentassessmentsandenforcementprotocols.

4 Developinginnovativemarketsolutionswhereprivatepoolsaremadesaferwhileprovidingbenefitstoownersandthecommunity.

5 Includingwatersafetypractices,accomplishmentsandotherrelatedinformationindestinationmarketingstrategiesfortourism.

6 ProvidingswimmingandotherwatersafetyrelatedprogrammesfortouristswithafocusonvisitingfamiliesfromGulfCooperationCouncilstates.

LIFEGUARDS IN BAHRAIN CAN BE TRAINED TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS.

APPS ARE USED TO SHARE INFORMATION ON BEACH SAFETY FOR RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS.

LIFEGUARDS KEEP BEACHES SAFE BY IDENTIFYING SAFE PLACES TO SWIM, EDUCATING VISITORS AND PERFORMING RESCUES AND FIRST AID.

POOL SAFETY CAN BE IMPROVED BY PROVIDING GUIDELINES ON THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES IN AQUATIC FACILITY OPERATION.

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TRAIN PEOPLE IN FIRST AID AND RESUSCITATION

Overview:

ItisarealityanyonemayrequirefirstaidandCardioPulmonaryResuscitation(CPR)assistanceanywhereandatanytime,onlandorinwater.Providingpeoplewithglobalbest-practiceskillsinfirstaidandresuscitationwillvastlyimprovethesafetyofpeopleacrossBahrain.

FirstaidandCPRaretwoofthemostcommonlydeliveredemergencycarecoursesworldwide.Eachcourseiscarefullydesignedtoequippeoplewiththeknowledgeandskillsrequiredtoprovideassistancetoasickorinjuredpersonuntilprofessionalmedicalhelparrives.

Bycreatinginterestinandunderstandingoftheimportanceoflearningemergencyresponseskills,itishopedthatmorepeoplewillengageinfirstaidandCPRtrainingtobecomeEverydayLifesavers.

RecognitionthatanyonecanbeanEverydayLifesaverandtheroleanindividualcanplayinanemergencycouldmeanthedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.Acommunityequippedwiththeseskillswillbemoreresilientasaresultofsharedresponsibility,empowermentandself-reliance.

TrainingpeopleinfirstaidandCPRshouldbesupplementedbymakingAutomatedExternalDefibrillators(AED)availableinpubliclocations.AnEverydayLifesaverwithaccesstoanAEDcanimprovethechanceofsurvivalofcardiacarrestby60%.

ItisimportanttoidentifykeytargetgroupsandprioritisethesegroupsfortraininginfirstaidandCPR.Targetgroupsmayincludewomen,peopleworkinginchildcare,retailandpublicspacessuchasairports,mallsandstadiums.

Our actions will include:

1 Establishingnationallyrecognisedqualificationsinfirstaidandresuscitationandrequiringthesequalificationstobeheldbytargetedjobtypesinthelabourmarket.

2 Incorporatingbasicfirstaidandresuscitationeducationintheschoolcurriculumanddeliveringittoallstudentsthroughinnovativeprogrammes.

3 Developingamarketsolutionwherelearningfirstaidandresuscitationisattractive,affordableandwidelyavailabletothepublic.

4 CreatingasystemwherepeoplewhoassistinemergenciesarerecordedandrecognisedasEverydayLifesavers.

5 Developinginnovativeresourcesthatcanbeusedbythepublictohelpinemergencies.

6 ProvidingaccesstoAutomatedExternalDefibrillatorsintargetedlocations.

ANYONE CAN BE AN EVERYDAY LIFESAVER IF THEY HAVE THE SKILLS TO ACT QUICKLY AND SAFELY TO PREVENT INJURY OR PROVIDE FIRST AID TO SOMEONE IN NEED.

A FIRST AID APP TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS TO MAXIMISE THE OUTCOME FOR A SICK OR INJURED PERSON.

AN APP WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT PROVIDES A MAP OF THE LOCATIONS OF ALL PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATORS.

THE EVERYDAY LIFESAVER APP BRINGS WATER SAFETY AND RESUSCITATION EDUCATION TO THE CLASSROOM.

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ENABLE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, VOLUNTEERISM AND CAREERS IN LIFESAVING

Overview:

Bahrain’slifesavingserviceswillrequirelifesavingvolunteersandemployeestoensuretheongoingsafetyofourbeaches,poolsandotherwaterlocations.

Alifesavingvolunteercantakemanyrolesandanyonecanbecomeinvolved.Volunteerscanbetrainedlifeguards,assistinsupportrolessuchascommunicationsandcoordination,orprovidegeneralsupportasrequired.

Thebenefitsofbeingalifesavingvolunteerarefar-reaching.Itisanopportunitytolearnnewskills,createclosecommunitylinkages,improvefitnessanddevelopfriendships.

TherearealsofantasticbenefitsforyoungBahrainistobecomeinvolvedinlifesaving.DevelopingyounglifesavingvolunteerswillcontributetoimprovingthenationalidentityofBahrainisandprovideopportunitiesfornurturingleadersinthecommunity.

Lifesavingalsoprovidesexcitingyouthcareerspathways,leadingtoincreasedjobopportunitiesforBahrainislocallyandinternationally.Forexample,studentsmaychoosetoworkaslifeguardswhilecompletingtertiarystudiesorgainemploymentaslifeguardsinthetourismsector.

ThedevelopmentandstandardisationoflifesavingservicesforcommercialpoolswillresultinfurtheremploymentandcareeropportunitiesforBahrainisinlifesavingandwater-relatedrecreation.

Our actions will include:

1 Recognisinglifesavingqualificationsinthenationalqualificationsframeworkandlifesavingjobtypesinlabourmarketclassifications.

2 Aligningandsynergisinglifesavingqualifications,volunteerrolesandcareerpathwaysintheNationalYouthDevelopmentStrategy.

3 Developingavolunteertraining,resourcinganddeploymentprogrammeatbeacheswithlifesavingservices.

4 CreatingasystemwherevolunteersarerecordedandrecognisedasEverydayLifesavers.

5 Creatinganentryleveltomanagementlifesavingcareerpathwaysinthetourismandemergencyservicesectors.

6 DevelopinginternationalexchangeprogrammesthatbringinternationallifesavingpersonneltoBahrainandsendBahrainlifesavingpersonneloverseas.

VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED TO MEET NATIONAL LIFESAVING QUALIFICATIONS.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO VOLUNTEER. PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT SKILLS CAN HELP IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

LIFEGUARD EMPLOYMENT AND VOLUNTEERING PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT PATHWAYS.

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IMPROVE SAFETY FOR BOATING AND OTHER PERSONAL WATERCRAFT-BASED RECREATION

Overview:

Bahrain’swarmwatersinviteresidentsandvisitorsaliketoenjoyavastarrayofwatercraft-basedrecreation.

Fromboatingorsailingwithfamilyandfriendstowakeboarding,jetskiingandwindsurfingalongthebeach,Bahrain’scoastlineprovideseasyaccesstowater-basedactivities.Thereissomethingforeveryone.

Whileparticipationinboatingandotherwatercraft-basedrecreationisencouraged,therearealsoassociatedinherentrisks.Therefore,itisimportantthatuniformsafetystandardsforboatandotherwatercraftoperationandwaterwaymanagementareembracedandupheld.

Withthenation’swaterwaysoftenbusywithavarietyofdifferentwatercraftandactivities,itisimportantthateveryoneusingwatercrafthasknowledgeofrulesandregulationstoensureeveryone’ssafety.Requiringrecreationalboatandpersonalwatercraftuserstoobtainappropriatelicenceswillensurethatbeforeoperatingavesselonthewater,peoplehaveappropriateknowledgeofthelegalresponsibilitiesforsafeoperation,necessarysafetyequipmentandwhattodoinanemergency.

Ofparticularimportanceistheneedtoenforcelifejacketwearamongrecreationalboatersandwatercraftusers.Researchhasdemonstratedtheeffectivenessoflifejacketsinsavingliveswhenboating.RegulatingtheiruseisthereforeofparamountimportanceformakingBahrainsafer.

Our actions will include:

1 SupportingtheCoastGuardtoincreasepublicawarenessofboatingandpersonalwatercraftsafety.

2 Embeddingsafetymessagingaboutboatingintoalllifesavingprogrammes.

3 Engagingindialogueandadvocacytodevelopsafetymeasuresforwater-relatedrecreationandsportingactivities.

4 EnablinglifeguardsatbeachestocommunicatesafetyrelatedinformationtoCoastGuardandotheragencies.

ENFORCING LIFEJACKET WEAR HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO VASTLY IMPROVE SAFETY AND PREVENT BOATING-RELATED DROWNING DEATHS.

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RESEARCH AND EVALUATION Werecognisetheimportanceofresearchtoprovideanevidencebasetocontinuallyinformourgoalsandstrategies.Evaluationofeachgoal,strategy,programmeandinitiativewithineachstrategywillalsoensureongoingimprovementandwillinformdecision-making.

Researchandevaluationwillbeusedtoprioritisetheactionswithineachstrategy,identifywhichpartnersarebestplacedtoimplementeachactionandidentifytheeffectivenessofprogrammesandinitiativesimplemented.ThelearningsfromtheevaluationwillbeusedtohelpimproveexistingprogrammesandinitiativesanddevelopthenextstepsintheBahrainWaterSafetyStrategy.Ourpriorityforthis,ourfirstBahrainWaterSafetyStrategy,istoputinplacetheappropriatesystemstocapturethemostaccuratedataandestablishabenchmarkuponwhichwecanmonitorandevaluateeachactionwithinourstrategy.

Examples include:

Developingadatabaseforcollectionofdrowningandotherwater-relatedinjuryincidents.

ConductingafeasibilitystudytodeterminethecurrentstatusoffoundationskillsinswimmingandwatersafetyinBahrain.

Monitoringandreportingoncomplianceofoperatorswithnationalguidelinesforsafetyatbeaches,poolsandotherwater-recreationlocations.

Monitoringandreportingtheuptakeofqualificationsinfirstaidandresuscitationaswellasincidentswherepeoplehaveassistedinemergencies,includingtheusedofautomatedexternaldefibrillatorsintargetedlocations.

Developingasystemtomonitorrescuesandfirstaidconductedbyvolunteerlifesaversandpaidlifeguardsatbeachesandswimmingpools.

Evaluatingtheeffectivenessofpublicawarenesscampaignsonwatersafety,firstaidandresuscitationandboatingsafety.

POLICY AND REGULATIONPolicyandregulationareimportantcomponentstomovefromchangingbeliefs,attitudesandintentionstobehaviourchange.Werecognisethatlong-termbehaviourchangeismostlikelywhenpotentialconstraintsaswellascostsandbenefitsareevaluatedtoensurethemostappropriate,sophisticatedandcomprehensivepoliciesandregulationsareputinplace.

Examples include:

Incorporatingthefoundationskillsinswimmingandwatersafetyintotheprimaryschoolcurriculumfordeliverytoallstudents.

Establishingnationalguidelinesforsafetyatbeaches,poolsandotherwater-basedrecreationlocations.

OUR ACTIVITIES

Ensuringcomplianceamongwaterwayoperatorsusingguidelines,independentassessmentsandenforcementprotocols.

Establishingnationallyrecognisedqualificationsinfirstaidandresuscitation.

Incorporatingbasicfirstaidandresuscitationeducationintotheschoolcurriculum.

Recognisinglifesavingqualificationsinthenationalqualificationsframework.

Regulatingdesignatedboatingzones.

Mandatingtheuseoflifejacketsoncertaintypesofwatercraft.

COMMUNICATION Effectivecommunicationatalllevels,internallyandexternally,iskeytosuccessfulimplementationoftheBahrainWaterSafetyStrategy.Werecognisetheneedforregular,clearcommunicationthroughoutthevariousstagesofthestrategy.Throughouttheprocesstherewillbeopportunitiesforstakeholdersatalllevelstoprovideinputandensurecommunicationisasharedprocess.KeyprioritiesaretocommunicatetheoverallstrategyandwhythereisaneedforBahraintohaveaWaterSafetyStrategyalongwiththedevelopmentofcommunicationsplansforrelevantactions.

Creatingawarenessisthereforethefirststep,followedbytargetingbehaviouralchange.Keyfactorsforsuccessareensuringcommunicationismulti-focusedandmulti-organisationalwithacombinationofbroadandtargetedcommunicationsincluding:generalpublicawarenesspromotion,targetedprogrammesandservicedevelopmentusingacollaborativeapproachbetweengovernmentministries,organisationsandthecommunity.

Differentcommunicationsstrategieswillbeemployedincludingadvertising,publicrelationsandmultilingualcommunication.Evidence-basedresearchwillbeusedtoguidecommunicationplansandtohelpidentifypriorities,keytargetgroupsorstakeholders,informactions,ortorevieworevaluatestrategies.

Examples include:

Publicawarenessraisingtopromotepathwaystoprogressstudentsfromlearningfoundationskillstorecreationalswimming,waterrelatedactivitiesandlifesavingprogrammes.

Communicatingwithstakeholderstodevelopnationalguidelinesforsafetyatbeaches,poolsandotherwater-recreationlocations.

Communicatingnewrequirementsregardingcompliancewithnationalguidelinesaswellasservicesthatprovidestakeholderswithaccesstocompliance-relatedadviceandsupport.

Publicawarenesscampaignsaboutwatersafetyandrelatedinformationindestinationmarketingfortourism.

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