ABU DHABI, 23rd December, 2018 (WAM) -- The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, EAD - the largest environmental regulator in the Middle East, launched ten special initiatives in 2018, the Year of Zayed, to celebrate the environmental legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The EAD invited 100 of its staff to its "Zayed Retreat" at the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, to brainstorm innovative ways of commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sheikh Zayed.
Marking major advances in preserving the UAE’s biodiversity, the EAD officially announced the "Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network," which is the world's largest network, in terms of numbers of protected areas.
Paying homage to Sheikh Zayed’s connection to sustainability and his commitment to wildlife protection and environmental conservation, the EAD, in collaboration with Etihad Airways and eight other participating entities, launched the Abu Dhabi Birdathon, which tagged and released 10 greater flamingos.
The EAD also led another key wildlife release programme this year. Two endangered green turtles, named Wisdom and Respect, were tagged with satellite transmitters before being released near Bu Tinah Island by Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the EAD.
"The EAD is proud to be the steward of Sheikh Zayed’s environmental legacy, and will strive to emulate his principles related to the land he loved and admired. His astute foresight has served as a guiding beacon for the agency’s efforts to protect and preserve our country’s flora and fauna, which is an integral part of our national inheritance and identity. During the Year of Zayed, the EAD celebrated the bond that Sheikh Zayed had with our environment, and aspires to share his legacy of devotion to our nature and biodiversity with both our colleagues and the wider global community, for the greater good of future generations," said Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Acting Secretary-General of the EAD.
Highlighting the EAD’s efforts to raise local and international awareness about Sheikh Zayed’s environmental legacy, Laila Yousef Al Hassan, Senior Advisor and Chair of the EAD's Year of Zayed Team, said, "Sheikh Zayed’s passion for environmental preservation and protection remains an inspiration to us all. To promote his vision of collective action on environmental sustainability, we sent three of our employees, as part of Team Zayed, to Antarctica, to witness and study the impact of global warming on the planet, as part of the ClimateForce International Antarctic Expedition 2018. The excursion was chronicled in a documentary entitled ‘Zayed’s Antarctic Lights,’ whose premiere in Abu Dhabi was attended by over 200 people. In collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute and ClimateForce 2041, we also launched the ClimateForce Challenge to encourage school students in the UAE to reduce and document their carbon footprint."
The EAD also provided volunteers to support environmental protection efforts throughout the Year of Zayed. Under the theme, "Together We Make the Difference," the EAD, along with several local partners, organised a series of clean-up campaigns at various locations around Abu Dhabi, including Fisherman’s Wharf, Mangrove National Park, the Abu Dhabi Corniche and Jebel Hafeet.
"To honour the respect that Sheikh Zayed had for people of all abilities, we also organised Nasamaat Al Khair, a workshop that brought together 85 of our employees to create desert plant arrangements, along with young Emirati people of determination. The interactive workshop was assisted by Enable, an award-winning social enterprise that promotes entrepreneurial skills to people of determination," Al Hassan added.
The agency also organised several other activities to ensure that Sheikh Zayed’s life and environmental legacy resonated throughout the entire organisation. Through a combination of relevant information, selected quotes from Sheikh Zayed, and a field trip to the Etihad Museum and Union House, the EAD shared the history and traditions of the UAE’s forefathers.