-Leonardo da Vinci

Who would agree with it more than one who lives in a desert? The United Arab Emirates is a country with an arid desert climate. The rainfall here is sparse and inconsistent and just between 140-200mm on an average annually. So it’s a nation which highly values the water element in its environment.  Apart from its two coastlines, one on the southern Arabian Gulf and the other on the Gulf of Oman, it has the life-giving fertile oases, the mangroves ( called qurms in Arabic), salt plains ( called sabkhas in Arabic) and the wadis which fill up with water when it rains, which form the ecosystem. Over and above this, the laudable effort of UAE has been in able to conserve and restore ten sites which are designated as Wetlands of International Importance ( Ramsar sites) with a surface area of 39,166 hectares. 

To understand why preservation of wetlands is so crucial to the entire planet ecosystem, the first step should be to appreciate them as a unique kind of ecosystem. A wetland is a place in which the land is covered by water or saturated with water either seasonally or permanently. It can be salty, fresh or in between these two types. They are like transition zones- neither totally dry nor totally underwater, and hence have the characteristics of both.These valuable ecosystem are actually a repository of unique flora and fauna. Hydrophytes, vegetation adapted to wet soil and variety of animal life-shrimps, fishes, amphibians, birds and insects define it. Science and literature both are testimony to the fact that wherever land meets water, life abounds. 

Wetlands occupy only 6% of the earth’s land surface, yet home to 40% of all species and sustain livelihood of more than one billion people. They are variedly called arteries and veins of the earth, sponges, nature’s kidneys, water treatment facilities and even carbon sinks as the plants, fungi and algae of a wetland filter wastes and purify water. The most apparent significance of the wetlands to a layman is the habitat they provide to the migratory birds. During their annual migration between September and April, the water birds such as herons, spoonbills, and flamingos depend on wetlands for feeding, breeding and resting. They can be called ‘pit stops’ on their flyways. 

Recognising the contribution the wetlands make to stabilising the climate, there have been concerted measures in UAE to protect them. 

Ras al Khor wildlife sanctuary, located right in the midst of bustling commercial hub and next to a busy highway in Dubai, is an example. This flamingo-dotted landscape serves as a protected habitat for the birds, an educating experience for the residents and viewing novelty for tourists as also do Al Wathba wetland reserve( Abu Dhabi) and Al Zorah nature reserve ( Ajman). At wetlands of Jebel Ali wetland sanctuary( Dubai), Mangrove and Al Hafeya protected area( Sharjah), Sir Abu Nair island protected area( Sharjah) and Wadi Wurayah national park ( Fujairah), integrated efforts to augment the biosystem and at the same time create awareness about their significance in the country has helped to keep them pristine.

Abu Dhabi Coastal Restoration Project, recognised in December 2022 by U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration as among the top 10 flagship restoration projects, is making an effort to improve the coral, mangrove, and sea grass areas along the coastline of Abu Dhabi. It will create a refuge for dugong, a fast-disappearing aquatic mammal and directly benefit other migratory species such as marine turtles and seabirds. 

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in UAE has also taken up rehabilitation of coastal and marine habitat by planting mangrove trees, transplanting healthy coral and creating nurseries for sea grass with the aim of creating a biodiversity hotspot. It is clear from these efforts that if we give nature a second chance and a little support, the damage can be mended.

Governments practicing good governance would definitely realise that investment in wetland restoration is actually a good public policy decision as it addresses many parameters of sustainability like conserving and promoting biodiversity, building food and water security, providing livelihoods and addressing climate change. Focusing efforts on wetland restoration can so be a fruitful journey for the environment conscious entities and nations.