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Green Crusaders
Federal Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi
The FEA is a government agency which works at every level to protect and
improve the environment in the UAE. Their mission statement, The
Emirates and the Environment, everlasting commitment and continuing
effort, is taken from a speech by President of the UAE, HH Shaikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at the global environmental summit in Rio in 1992.
Executive director of UAE Environment Day at the Federal Environment
Agency, Lubna Al Amiri, said: �Our first National Environment Day will
be held on February 4th, 1998 as the date has a special importance � the
FEA was established on February 4th, 1993.�
She added that the celebrations and activities to mark the
ground-breaking occasion will cover the entire Emirates but the main
celebration will take place in Abu Dhabi.
�We have organised eight exhibitions, including one on Environmental
Technology at the Cultural Foundation as well as a photographic
exhibition. Other shows will focus on the Environment and Children,
Women and the Environment and the work of voluntary environmental
groups, such as the Friends of the Environment Society.�
Two major clean-up days have been arranged for the Corniche in Abu Dhabi
and Dubai. Members of the public are being urged to join in all the
activities and contribute as much as possible. �We are currently
producing a film to promote environmental awareness within the Emirates
to be shown on local television and will also be holding a series of
three lectures in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai that will be broadcast
around the UAE during Environment Day. Each will focus on different
subjects and issues concerning the environment of each Emirate,� said
Lubna.
Radio programmes will also be broadcast in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al
Khaimah in an effort to encourage all municipalities to take part.
Sharjah Environment Group
SEG is a non-profit making group open to men and women of all
nationalities, which aims to safeguard the future of the Emirates.
The SEG�s activities include encouraging participation in a number of
specific projects, such as clean-up campaigns for schools and members of
the public, providing information regarding recycling facilities and
increasing public awareness of local and global environmental issues.
They also recently launched a campaign to cut down on the �BUFOs�
(unidentified blue flying objects) � blue plastic bags � which are
spotted only too often littering the beaches and deserts of the UAE.
Currently the economics of subsidising the cost of switching permanently
to more environmentally-friendly paper bags are being worked out.
Contact Katrine Khaden at the above number for details of forthcoming
activities for UAE Environment Day.
The group, which already has over 80 members and nine committee members,
had a busy first year. In April they organised three clean-ups carried
out by different schools in the area and also had a public clean-up of
Rams beach in the same month.
The REG also organised a campaign to reduce usage of plastic bags in
supermarkets and souks to celebrate World Environment Day on 5th June.
Contact the REG direct to find out what special events they have lined
up for 4 February.
Emirates Environmental Group, Dubai
The EEG is a voluntary, non-profit making, non-governmental organisation
devoted to protecting the environment through education, action
programmes and community involvement. Specific aims of the EEG include:
promoting waste reduction in support of Dubai Municipalities Target 555
and encouraging the three �Rs� � reduce, re-use and recycle.
The group is sponsored by the Government of Dubai�s Department of
Economic Development and supported by Dubai Municipality. Last year was
a landmark year for the EEG, with a number of campaigns and projects
coming to fruition.
They successfully launched their Corporate Membership drive in August
�97 and so far have 42 new corporate members. They moved into new,
permanent offices at the Holiday Centre and acted as the official
environmental body during the Dubai Shopping Festival last April.
The group has also found time to organise two major clean-up campaigns
at Hatta and Al Qusais and produce their much-anticipated quarterly
newsletter, the Wastepaper. Chairperson Habiba also launched a
fortnightly environmental slot on Dubai FM, which airs on a Mondays at
11am.
�The UAE Environmental Day is a very good idea, although we celebrate
other international days to mark environmental causes, this national day
represents the importance that the Government of the UAE puts on this
sensitive issue,� said Habiba.
The group has organised a number of special events to celebrate UAE
Environment Day: �We will be doing a follow-up clean-up day at the Al
Qusais area and also hope to create a green park area for children. We
are currently appealing for sponsors for this.
�We are also relaunching our aluminium can collection campaign as part
of the festivities and will be producing an educational pack for school
children and teachers, which has been sponsored by Coca-Cola. The EEG
recognises that in terms of the environment there are no nationalities
and no boundaries,� said Habiba, adding that the group is constantly
appealing for new members and volunteers.
Annual membership fee is Dhs50. Write to PO Box 7013, Dubai or fax
04-328500 for a membership form.
The Arabian Leopard Trust, Dubai
This non-profit, non-political group aims to educate the public about
wildlife protection, it also organises breeding of animals in captivity,
scientific research and is working towards the creation of wildlife
reserves in the Arabian Peninsula.
ALT Field Researcher, Moaz Sawaf, said: �We have the Arabian Leopard as
our flag ship species because it is one of the most endangered in the
region. There are less than 100 worldwide and around 6 to 10 are
believed to live in the UAE. But we are here to protect each and every
animal in the UAE.�
He said that as well as many educational and public awareness programmes
and campaigns the trust carries out important research and fieldwork
about the region�s wildlife, birds and fish.
�We held three scientific surveys from 1995 to 1997. During these
surveys we discovered species that were totally new to science,� added
Moaz.
Blandford�s fox was unknown to exist in the UAE mountains until 1995,
while the Arabian tahr (wild goat) thought to be extinct in the UAE
since 1983 was rediscovered during their fieldwork. Most importantly the
results of the surveys helped researchers to identify areas which are
suitable to be National Parks and Nature Reserves and management plans
are being drawn up for these reserves, prior to presenting the proposals
to the region�s rulers.
�We need more people to spread the message to the villagers in the
mountains not to shoot these rare species. Ideally we would like more
UAE nationals to become involved with the trust and possibly be trained
as wildlife rangers and conservation rangers, so that they can manage
the proposed nature reserves,� said Moaz.
For an annual fee of Dhs 50 you can join the Friends of the Arabian
Leopard and receive quarterly updates on all ALT activities. For a
donation of Dhs 500 you can become a Life Member of the ALT.
You can also support the ALT by �adopting� an endangered Arabian animal
and paying a small fee towards its upkeep.You receive a certificate of
adoption, a fact sheet, picture of your chosen animal and an ALT T-Shirt
if you donate Dhs 50 or more. Contact the ALT at the above telephone
number, fax 04-497963 or write to the Trust at PO Box 24444, Sharjah,
UAE.
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Wednesday 4 February is the first ever UAE Environment Day, a landmark occasion for the many groups who are constantly battling to increase environmental awareness in the Emirates. Fatima Al Khan profiles some of the leading groups to find out what they do and what this special day is all about. 
Ras Al Khaimah Environment Group