Abu Dhabi: A group of off-road enthusiasts is making it their duty to look after some of the UAE’s outdoor desert sites, which are often left littered by campers who leave their waste behind.
The initiative is being carried out by Desert Hawks Offroad Community (DHOC), a 400-strong group of outdoor adventurers. The clean ups are done once every month at popular campsites, with the waste including plastic bags, jars, and burnt charcoal. The waste is not only creating a dirty and polluted area, but is also dangerously impacting the health of the animals that live in those areas, say the clean-up volunteers.
“Unfortunately, when we go out as part of our monthly clean-up we find so much garbage. It takes our group — which ranges from 60 to 80 people — a whole day to clean up the garbage, and that gives a good indication of the amount of waste that is being left behind. Once we collect all the garbage we take it to the municipality garbage dumping sites ” said Rajesh Paul, the founder of DHOC.
“We find all types of litter — plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic jars, and the barbecue charcoal. It’s very sad because these are very beautiful outdoor areas and they do not look very nice afterwards because of all the litter. The government is giving us the freedom to come and visit these sites to camp and enjoy, so we should not destroy these areas.
“There have been a couple of times when we have actually spotted dead camels, and the reason they died was because of the garbage left behind, the camels took in some and ate some of the plastic and they died as a result. The garbage is not just creating pollution and ruining a beautiful area, it is adversely affecting the species that live in the area.”
Paul said that education and awareness on the issue were the best way to handle the unruly behaviour.
“The education really has to come from the beginning, meaning from when that person is a child. So, it is vital to teach children the importance of not littering, and that is what we do with the children of our group’s members. At many of our family day adventures we take the time to educate the children on not littering and preserving the outdoor areas,” he said.
“Sometimes we visit the campsites and encourage the campers to make sure that they don’t leave their garbage behind, we usually get a positive reaction from the people who tell us that they agree with our message,” he added.
Paul also recommended that signboards to be placed by the municipality to warn against littering at desert campsites.
“At the moment there are a few signs against littering but they are usually placed on the municipality litter boxes, so I think it would be a good idea to have boards that are specifically created to warn against littering and destroying public places.
“At the end of the day these are beautiful natural places and that is why many people are visiting them. They provide an escape from our daily urban settings, and if we can get people to appreciate this fact it could make them change their ways. People need to understand that it is a privilege for us to be able to visit these areas,” he added.
People who wish to join the group can do so through the official website:
http://uaedeserthawks.com/register.php
