Abu Dhabi Police in cooperation with the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi celebrated the 15th National Environment Day 2012, under the slogan "the living desert”.
Members of the public have interacted with event which was attended by Colonel Faisal Al Shu’aibi, Director of Strategy and Performance Development Department at Abu Dhabi Police (the organizer), Dr. Shaza Ismaeel Al Jubouri, assistant director of campaigns at the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi.
The event, held at the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Police, yesterday (Tuesday), focused on promoting awareness of environmental systems, to coincide with the state's efforts to celebrate this day on the fourth of February each year.
“Preservation of the environment is a fundamental requirement in all the world in order to attain a safe and secure life for everyone living in the UAE” , said Colonel Faisal Al Shu’aibi, Director of Strategy and Performance Development Department at Abu Dhabi Police (the organizer) in his welcome address, pointing out that Abu Dhabi Police was one of the pioneering institutions which set up its own environment, health and safety management system.
A plan has already been developed to qualify all departments of the General Headquarters of Abu Dhabi Police to get the ISO (14001 - OHSAS 18001), he said, adding that a comprehensive care section has also been created , which involves preserving the environment and occupational health and safety. The newly created section has carried out many initiatives at the level of Abu Dhabi Police such as setting a mechanism for paper recycling, and a mechanism for the use of green electronic devices and participates in many local environmental initiatives.
“living desert ", as a slogan for the 15 edition of the National Environment Day, which marks the fourth of February of each year and which is launched by the Ministry of Environment and Water, has been mainly chosen to demonstrate the importance of preserving the different types of environments in the UAE, especially the desert that covers more than 80% of the total area of the country, and represent an important part of our heritage and our history, said Dr. Jubouri in a lecture she delivered on this occasion ,
She stated that the desert of the UAE is not an arid barren, but a vibrant and rich with different types of animals, birds, insects, and has a vegetation cover, oases and natural resources which are compatible to the desert arid circumstances.
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is home to about 49 species of mammals and two species of amphibians and 57 species of reptiles, with two to three millions of birds visiting the UAE each year during migration season, and 441 species of birds, of which 47 species of prey (two types threatened with extinction and 5 species are more vulnerable to extinction) There are also 54 species of reptiles made up of 12 families (one type of snakes is threatened with extinction).
With regard to desert plants in the UAE, she noted that there are approximately 200 desert forests mainly concentrated in Madinat Zayed, Ghaythi and Al Wathba. 52 of them have been chosen to be shifted into nature reserves. The most important trees in these forests include, Ziziphus, Acacia, Salvadora persica and Azadirachta indica
As for the efforts made by the UAE to promote the protection of the environment, Al Jubouri said: The protection of endangered species has been given similar attention, and the UAE has a proven track record in this area, as a result of implementation of a range of leading and successful protection programs, such as programs to protect the Arabian Oryx, houbara and falcons which have achieved important successes, not only in the f