A UAE newspaper has said that every human being has a responsibility to protect the planet as reckless human activity is taking a heavy toll on wildlife and the natural resources we need to survive.
ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 31st Oct, 2018) A UAE newspaper has said that every human being has a responsibility to protect the planet as reckless human activity is taking a heavy toll on wildlife and the natural resources we need to survive.
The Gulf Today, in an editorial on Wednesday, said, "In what would rattle collective human conscience, the World Wildlife Fund, WWF, has stated that from 1970 to 2014, 60 percent of all animals with a backbone - fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals - were wiped out by human activity.
"For freshwater fauna, the decline in population over the 44 years monitored was a staggering 80 percent. Latin America was hit hardest, seeing a nearly 90 percent loss of wildlife over the same period, as per the WWF’s 'Living Planet' report.
"It does not give cozy comfort to note that the earth has lost almost half of its shallow water corals in the past 30 years and that a fifth of the Amazon has actually disappeared in 50 years."
The paper continued, "The situation is really bad, and it keeps getting worse, as WWF International Director-General Marco Lambertini points out. The consolation, though, is the reasons for the crisis are known and corrective measures are possible. What it calls for is collective will.
"As far as the UAE is concerned, the country is fortunate that its Founding Father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, himself was an ardent nature lover and conservationist who laid a strong foundation for environmental protection."
"Though the UAE is situated in one of the most arid regions, it boasts alluring mangroves, wadis, salt marshes and lagoons," it added.
The editorial further stated that the UAE’s idea of conservation was exemplified by an incident last year when an entire project venue was shifted to rescue a bird. "His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, were travelling to a forest area when they spotted a houbara bustard bird laying eggs near a project site. They immediately ordered to shift the project to another part of the area to protect the bird and its eggs."
"There is a dire global need to reduce carbon emissions, prevent habitat loss and fight climate change. Destroying nature at this pace would have dangerous consequences on human beings. It’s better to wake up before it’s too late," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.
