Environmental awareness and eco-friendly actions are on the rise in Abu Dhabi emirate, according to the latest findings of the Environmental Awareness and Behaviour Survey.

Conducted regularly by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) since 2008, nearly 2,000 people representing various nationalities, ages and industries in the emirate took part in the latest survey done in 2013.

The results, released by the EAD on Tuesday, showed that 68 percent of the participants reported pro-environment practices, compared to 55 per cent in 2012.

Within the construction industry, the overall level of awareness on environmental issues grew from 24 per cent in 2012 to 81 per cent in 2013.

Moreover, 88 per cent of the respondents within that industry expressed concern about waste management issues in their sector, as opposed to only 45 per cent in 2012. On air quality, an astonishing 90 per cent of those surveyed in 2013 reported that they understood that enhancing air quality was a priority, compared to only 7 per cent in 2012. In the industrial sector and the ready mix sector in particular, the EAD?s industrial compliance campaign, Eltezam, helped raise awareness about the importance of limiting the amount of particulate matter (PM) released from their facilities. Occurring naturally in the form of dust, for example, or man-made such as smoke, PM may have deadly consequences on long term, causing lung diseases and even cancer.

The EAD?s Eltezam campaign resulted in 46 per cent improvement on reducing PM.  The survey also revealed that the willingness of the ready mix facilities to comply with the environmental permit conditions, directly correlates with their level of awareness.

?The Environmental Awareness and Behaviour Survey findings have for years helped inform the EAD?s outreach focus for the coming year. Consistently measuring and analysing awareness levels and the behaviour of Abu Dhabi?s community helps us to better understand what motivates people,? said Fozeya Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, director of Environmental Outreach at the EAD.

Of all of those surveyed, youth between 15 and 20 years demonstrated the highest levels of awareness of waste management as an environmental concern and were also the most active in searching for solutions to lessen their impact on environment. For example, 73 per cent of youth opted to carpool with friends or family last year, while in 2012, only 55 per cent had considered that option.

While the survey showed better results generally in pro-environment practices in 2013 than previously, water consumption, one of the most pressing issues of Abu Dhabi emirate, didn?t do very well.

An average of 52 percent of the respondents in 2013, compared to 46 per cent in 2012, reported carrying out environmentally friendly behaviour such as shutting their taps when not in use and adjusting the water flow to low when performing daily actions such as brushing their teeth or performing ablutions before prayer.