Five sites in the UAE have been listed for their rich, unique environmental biodiversity recently. The shortlisting of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve; Abu Dhabi’s southwest waters; Jebel Ali; Sir Bu Na’air Island and Khor Kalba showcase the valued theory that a healthy biodiversity offers natural services.
This phenomenon does not happen overnight. It requires commitment and sustainable solutions towards preserving natural habitats, endangered species on land and in the sea, and ensuring that their numbers are thriving. The UAE is on the right path towards achieving this aim across a broader scale. Biodiversity is important because it helps to enable ecosystem productivity where each species, irrespective of their size, has an important role to play. The onus is on human beings who, despite dominating the planet, need to preserve diversity for their own wellbeing. This importance is highlighted further when we accept that nearly 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological sources. Therefore, more sustenance leads to greater opportunity for more discoveries, development and solutions to challenges. Preservation leads to stability.
