Campers in UAE divided over plan for special zones

Dubai: Camping enthusiasts seem to have mixed reactions to the Ministry of Environment and Water's plans to set up designated camping sites. The ministry hopes that by doing this it can stop people dumping litter in the desert.

An ongoing problem is animals eating trash left behind by careless off-roaders, and much of the litter is indigestible and leads to the animals' death.

"I think that this is a great idea to set up locations with proper facilities, so long as that doesn't mean that we can't camp in other places as well," says Ishaq Yousuf, an Emirati off-road enthusiast. "Campers usually look for secluded areas, especially if you are with your family. You don't want to camp near other people, you need some privacy," he said.

"Most avid, responsible campers make sure that they leave the site the same way they found it if not cleaner," said Yousuf. "Camping sites in the UAE are already well known and are seasonal. I don't see the point in allocating special areas or fencing us off," said Saeed Salem, an Emirati camper.

"Fencing places off just ruins the trip."

Better solution

"Most of the camping locations are in Sharjah. People there are used to collecting the trash and leaving it in bags alongside the highway since they know the municipality trucks collect litter there," says Salem.

"I think the ministry should coordinate with the municipalities to find a better solution than to cordon vacationers off."

Many campers have already been inconvenienced by the setting up of the UAE border fence. Normal off-road trails have been cut off, forcing many to find new, longer routes and causing delays at the border checkpoints. "It's up to the individuals to clean up after them-selves. If they don't do that, then something has to be done about it," says Marclino Fernandes, a camping enthusiast.

"Imposing restrictions is unfair because most campers are responsible. Most campers are nature lovers and would pick up any trash they come across."

"I understand why the government is doing this, I know that places like Fossil Rock and the Hatta Pools are covered in litter, but this restriction is too harsh," says Fernandes.

"I think the government should look at setting up large trash collection bins in the wild."

Do you agree that more should be done to protect the country's land? Have you noticed people littering in camping areas?