Dubai Municipality safeguards wildlife reservoirs amid development

Dubai: Construction work on skyscrapers and residential complexes are set to take place near the wildlife sanctuary site at Ras Al Khor soon — yet authorities have assured that it will not have any detrimental effects to the environment.

Speaking to Gulf News, Engr Eisa Al Haj Al Maidour, Deputy Director General of Dubai Municipality, explained that stringent regulations are enforced to safeguard the wildlife reservoirs, which accounts for 16 per cent of Dubai’s total land area of over 4,000 square kilometres.

“Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected reserve where residents can go bird watching and that will not change,” he said, in response to the announcement of two 37-storey towers with 480 residential units that is expected to take shape across 6 million square metres near the wildlife sanctuary reserve at Ras Al Khor.

The development complex is also expected to feature a boardwalk with a variety of food outlets and entertainment zones, which will offer visitors direct access to a marina, yacht club, ferry terminal creek pier, and a lighthouse.

In a statement, Ahmad Al Matroushi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, said: “Dubai Creek Harbour is a truly unique development in Dubai that is defined by its central location by the historic Dubai Creek, a world-class design and a wide range of lifestyle amenities that will appeal to all members of the family. No other development assures such a scenic view … with homes opening to the Dubai skyline, the Dubai Creek and the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary.”

The Ras Al Khor sanctuary, which means Cape of the Creek in Arabic, is protected under the Unesco Ramsar Convention since 2007 and lies in proximity to a massive development site that intends to revamp the area into a residential and commercial district. It was established in 1985 and is home to approximately 450 species of animals, such as birds, crustaceans, small mammals and fish, in addition to 47 species of flora, according to municipal records. It is also identified as a globally Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International and considered an exceptional wetland within the UAE.

“There are 11 reservoir sites in Dubai, and the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary is one of them, and together they make up a large portion of the emirate. Keeping that in mind, we have the responsibility to protect these sites from any kind of contamination because once they’re lost, we cannot bring it back,” said Al Maidour.

The wildlife sanctuaries include the Al Marmoum Desert Reserve, the Hatta Mountain Conservation Area and the Jabal Nazwa Conservation Area.

According to Article 65, Federal Law 24, 1999, wild and marine animals and birds using reserves for resting, hatching or habitation, shall be protected in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

“We are all about sustainable development, and so any project that is approved has to be in line with Dubai’s work for future development,” he said.

Al Maidour clarified that each sanctuary site has buffer zones to prevent any construction from taking place in the restricted areas, in order to maintain and preserve the natural wildlife.

“There is more than one issue at hand with new development projects that are not limited to the preservation of wildlife reservoirs, such as the aviation line and noise related to construction, and so any plans for development has to be approved first by the municipality,” he said.

Fact file

In the Environmental Performance Index 2014, carried out by Yale University, the UAE scored 72.91 on a scale of 100 — a jump from 77 in 2012. Out of 178 countries, it ranked at 25th place. The UAE was also ranked at 65 with a score of 86.47 in air quality, ranked 39 in water and sanitation at 82.41.