Dubai: The UAE is a living, breathing example of the theme of World Environment Day “Connecting People with Nature” through a long-standing respect and protection for natural areas amid growing development pressures, said Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, on Sunday.
And he assured residents that the country’s mission to preserve important natural areas such as Sir Bani Yas Island and Ras Al Khor will ensure that critical wildlife areas will remain for future generations.
He encouraged everyone, especially youth, to adopt a sustainable lifestyle to reduce pressures on the natural environment.
“The founding father of the UAE, late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan stated that we have been committed to the principle of coexistence between man and nature, and although our rapid population growth and ambitious plans require more exploitation of our resources, we have tried to achieve this in a sustainable way,” said Al Zeyoudi in a statement.
“The relationship between the country and nature has been an important part of our concerns. Even amid the comprehensive developmental renaissance that has affected various aspects of life, the UAE has always been keen on preserving a good relationship between man and nature, and maximising the value of nature and its resources in various policies and development plans. This is reflected in the UAE Vision 2021, launched by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that emphasises the importance of protecting the country’s natural environment from the dangers of human activities on a local and global scale.
“The country has endeavoured to provide appropriate protection to many areas of land and sea that are environmentally sensitive or historically significant so that they can withstand natural and developmental pressures and challenges. Today, we have 43 officially declared protected areas that span more than 14 per cent of the country’s territory, exceeding the target set in the National Strategy for Biodiversity 2015-2021.
