UAE | Environment
Ras Al Khor sanctuary listed as only protected wetland in UAE
Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai falls under the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, which was ratified officially by the UAE in 2007.
- Staff Report
- Published: 16:58 January 22, 2008
- The sanctuary falls under the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
Dubai: The Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai has been listed as the only protected wetland in the UAE.
The sanctuary falls under the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, which was ratified officially by the UAE in 2007.
Announcing this, Hamdan Al Shaer, Director of Environment Department at Dubai Municipality, said officials from the department have recently attended the Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting of the Convention on Wetlands in Bangkok, Thailand.
The meeting was held from 14 to 18 January 2008 in preparation for the 10th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP10), which will take place in Changwon, Republic of Korea later in 2008.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
There are presently 157 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1,708 wetland sites, totaling 153 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
Al Shaer said the Ras Al Khor Sanctuary, located at the far end of the Dubai Creek, is one of the few urban protected areas in the world recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the BirdLife International.
This sanctuary is established by fulfilling all the standard criteria of protected areas defined by IUCN –the World Conservation Union.
He said the sanctuary is a safe haven for a variety of plants, animals and birds, which are challenged by the demanding climatic regime, the geology and other physical conditions.
Share this article
More from UAE Environment
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week
Latest news
- UAE National Day: Preparations in full swing
- Universities celebrate UAE National Day
- Brothers' triple success
- Reviving age-old craftsmanship
- Youth reconnect with history
- Fatima: UAE's women are exercising full rights
- Emirates Palace gears up for festivities
- Emerging writers to get networking opportunities
- Ministry of Health sacks employees for forgery
- Please don't use two parking spaces
- 'Education is a long-term investment'
- Scottish businessman awarded honorary doctorate in engineering
- Giving money is not enough
- Large crowds join in Eid festivities
- Al Ain's oryx may hold key to breeding
Community Reports
-
Please don't use two parking spaces
Thoughtless drivers means other motorists are losing out in a city where places to leave cars are often hard to find
-
School buses must do safe drop-offs
Some bus drivers let students off at the wrong side of the road
-
Munching on a health hazard
Residents must be careful about consuming snacks and sandwiches prepared along the roadside as they attract dirt and bacteria
-
Faded signage fails to guide visitors
Reader seeks better upkeep of signboards in green areas
