UAE | Environment

UAE official challenges WWF findings

A senior official here has challenged a report by international convervationist group WWF, which said people in the the UAE are placing the most stress per capita on the planet ahead of those in the US, Finland and Canada.

  • By Meher Murshed, UAE Editor
  • Published: 00:00 October 25, 2006
  • Gulf News

  • Boxes litter a beach in Ras Al Khaimah in this file photo.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dubai: A senior official here has challenged a report by international convervationist group WWF, which said people in the the UAE are placing the most stress per capita on the planet ahead of those in the US, Finland and Canada.

The report, released on Tuesday, said man is exploiting nature at an alarming rate and will need two planets' worth of natural resources every year by 2050 on current trends.

"For more than 20 years we have exceeded the earth's ability to support a consumptive lifestyle that is unsustainable and we cannot afford to continue down this path," James Leape, WWF Director-General, said, launching the WWF's 2006 Living Planet Report.

"If everyone around the world lived as those in America, we would need five planets to support us," Leape, an American, said in Beijing.

The report said UAE residents were putting the most stress per capita on the planet. Australia was also living well beyond its means. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), told Gulf News: "I do not believe the report. I challenge it because WWF reports are not based on high quality data. They are inaccurate."

He said the EAD will write to the WWF questioning which model was followed before it came to such "ridiculous" conclusions.

The secretary-general of the EAD questioned why the WWF had based its report on the per capita aspect. "The UAE has contributed to projects in Pakistan, Morocco and other countries building, roads, hospitals and schools. Look at our involvement in the rebuilding of Lebanon. Millions of dirhams go out of the UAE, with expatriates supporting their families back home. Why don't they focus on our global contribution."

He said it is unfair to compare tropical countries with nations in arid zones because the climatic conditions and pressure factors are very different.

With additional inputs from Reuters


Your comments


The WWF findings are absolutely correct. And Majid seems to go off the topic and starts talking about the UAE's donations.. etc
Chirag
Toronto,Canada

Dubai has endlessly supported the development of the planet and is heading towards a more sound and healthier enviroment solution.The data of the WWF needs to be re-evaluated as the UAE developed an excess of Dh2 billion budget for enviromental issues. Instead of turning this as a per capita issue why has the Kyoto agreement not been signed by the country that houses 25% of the world's pollution?
Rashid
Dubai,UAE

This WWF report is an insult to our intelligence: The top 10 polluters on their list are countries with more than 80% of unspoilled land (forest or desert). Where are Singapour or Hong Kong with 100% construction. The WWF must be in surch of free advertisment.
Anonymous by request
Dubai,UAE

If the UAE really cared about the environment there would be recycling bins in each community for glass, paper and aluminum. I know of only one (near Safa Park). If the UAE really cared about the environment there would be fewer SUVs and high performance sports cars on the road. If the UAE really cared about the environment there would not be oil on the beach. If the UAE really cared about the environment it would stop destroying it.
Trygve
Dubai,UAE

For sure, the truth is hard to swallow and hits the raw nerve severely. I salute the WWF for calling a spade a spade. A big wake up call for EAD - they should be mature and educated enough to show the grit as well as the guts to face the truth with an open mind, head and heart.
Aamir
St. Louis, Missouri,USA

Al Mansouri clearly belongs to that great class of UAE high officials who live in a world where any fact that derails from the myth of how good everything is here, are simply denied.
Suleyman
Dubai,UAE

The report may be true. Too much waste is generated here. There is no initiative to ban or reduce plastic or other hazardous waste.
Saqeer
DUBAI,UAE

Wow! Great comments. Majid was asked one question and answered another.
Nitin
Dubai,UAE

Mr Mansouri seems to take the result of the report personally! It is an inappropriate response from the Sec Gen of EAD and one which portrays the country in a very poor light. The UAE should accept constructive criticism and act now.
Anne
Abu Dhabi,UAE

Wheather the report is true or not, take this as a warning or a challenge for the present and for the future of this country.
AB
Dubai,UAE

If everybody in the EAD has the same opinion, and just buries their head in the sand, then we have a problem. There may be some discrepancies in the data, but to reject the very real concern is not very sensisible coming from the head of the Environmental Agency.
Oswald
London,UK

Obviously those who blasted Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), did not comprehend his stance and just wanted a chance to attack the UAE. Let's be frank and not forget that they are the reason behind the garbage in this country. Please reread the article to understand the basis of the report that he is challenging.
Ali
Dubai,UAE

A senior like Majid Al Mansouri should understand what the WWF wanted to say before placing such a comment or challange. We all know the situation here is worsening every minute so we must accept the fact and try to reduce wastage.
Omar
Dubai,UK

The guy isn't fit for the job - as simple as that.
Anonymous
Sharjah,UAE

The reply by the secretary-general of the EAD to a very serious report by the WWF shows how serious the local environment is for the emirati. What I am forced to conclude is that they do not give one grain of sand about their environment (and if they did the obsurd projects such as Palm islands, the World etc. would not have been started in the first place). The points the secretary mentions that he would like to discuss with the WWF have nothing to do with the environment, so there is no discussion!
Jodi
By e-mail,The Netherlands

Waste separation should be done and practiced by each family living here. Littering is allowed. Too much developments are degrading our marine/land environment. Many expats as well as locals just don't care so we need to provide education to everybody as well as introduce fines for those not following the rules.
Farah
Abu Dhabi,UAE

Dubai Municipality has long ago acknowledged the high levels of per-capita waste and had embarked on a program to reduce waste (I think it was Target 555, or something like that). The concept of recycling is not enforced at micro-level in Dubai, where, if government wills, fantastic results can be achieved. The response of EAD is quite pathetic. He should have just acknowledged the facts and added that it should not distract the other good work that the UAE has to offer world-wide. His arguments are out of context and vague.
Satish
Burnaby,Canada

Either the reporting is poor or the comments are inappropriate. What is reported in this article, charitable contributions, seems to have little to do with the ecological measurement provided by WWF. How can one challenge WWF's measurement of the UAE's ecological footprint by saying that the country makes lots of charitable contributions?
Norman
Dubai,UAE

I totally agree with WWF. Maybe the report is not accurate but there is no denying that the UAE just doesn't care. There is too much litter here. Plus, the environment is being disturbed by mindless development projects like, Palm, World etc.
Imran
Dubai,UAE

We don't need the WWF to say that. I think anyone who has lived in the west or the Pacific can see what's happening in UAE. You find garbage every where, residents don't care about cleanliness. If you were to take a tour of the UAE, specially the beaches of RAK, UAQ and Fujairah - they will smell of fuel and your eyes start to burn as soon as you get into water. We should consider the report of WWF and EAD should look into the concerns raised ASAP.
Faiz
Dubai,UAE

Reading the comments of Majid Al Mansouri, it seems he was having a different conversation. What has the UAE helping to build projects in Morrocco, or contributing to Lebanon, got to do with an environmental impact report? Nothing whatsoever. The amount of wasted everything (water, electricity, oil etc) is nothing short of criminal and it comes as no surprise that the UAE is top of the league.
James
Dubai,UAE

We will soon live in the most densely populated trash-can in the Middle East. It is normal to throw rubbish out of your car, leave everything for the landfill and not even enjoy the luxury of a viable recycling option. A green community indeed!
Green boy
Dubai,UAE

Why is there little or no recycling here for household waste? In the UK 40 per cent of packaging is recycled. Bottle banks, clothing/rag banks and newspaper recycling are available outside every major supermarket in the UK. I don't think I've seen one here in Dubai.
Simon
Dubai,UAE

At least cover the chimneys of the power generation plants in Dubai and Sharjah. the NOx compounds coming of those are extremely toxic.
Ayham
Dubai,UAE

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

More from UAE Environment

  1. Safe ways of handling medical waste discussed

  2. Wag a tail

  3. Rare wild cat discovered in Fujairah wadi

  4. Favourable climate predicted during weekend

All articles in Environment

More from UAE

Gulf News
Popular in UAE
Readers' pictures
Your pictures

Readers' pictures

A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week

Latest news
Community Reports

More from Community Reports

Weather

More from Weather