Taking its environmental responsibilities seriously and leading in wildlife conservation across different corners of the planet, the Emirates Group is playing its part to support and preserve biodiversity
DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 22nd Apr, 2019) Taking its environmental responsibilities seriously and leading in wildlife conservation across different corners of the planet, the Emirates Group is playing its part to support and preserve biodiversity.
The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in Australia both illustrate the Group’s long-standing focus on protecting fragile ecosystems and support for sustainable tourism in very different parts of the world. Both conservation reserves protect valuable ecosystems and, at the same time, provide unique and sustainable experiences for visitors from around the world.
The Emirates Group funds the operations of the 225 square kilometre Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, DDCR, an inland desert habitat that has been protected by government mandate since 2003. This is the largest piece of land that Dubai has dedicated to a single project, and aims to preserve Dubai’s unique desert environment for future generations.
The DDCR plays an important role in ecological research, actively collaborating with both local and international universities. The findings and results of its research studies help to improve knowledge about the desert ecosystem, gather scientific data around rare and endangered desert species, monitor its balance and preserve its natural environment.
The reserve is also a focal point for conservation programmes aimed at restoring populations of some of the UAE’s wildlife, such as the Arabian gazelle, sand gazelle and Arabian oryx. Since their reintroduction into the DDCR, the antelope species have thrived, and their populations have significantly increased, triggering the process of looking into relocating some oryx and gazelle species to other protected areas within the region. Over 250 endangered Macqueen’s bustard (houbara) were also released this year, with 25 of them fitted with tracking devices to monitor their movement and breeding progress.
In 2018, the DDCR was visited by more than 285,000 tourists through Arabian Adventures, various Emirates partner tour operators, and the Al Maha Desert Resort. The DDCR offers low-impact desert experiences, in addition to desert clean-up activities, in coordination with Arabian Adventures. During 2018, the DDCR was accepted as a candidate for the IUCN Green List for Protected and Conserved Areas, a global standard for the world’s most effectively managed Protected Areas.
Emirates Group employees living in Meydan Heights will be taking part in a Ghaf Tree planting event on 27th April, in partnership with Goumbook. The event aims to raise awareness about the importance of conserving the living desert, with a specific focus on the Ghaf tree.
The Ghaf is a drought tolerant, evergreen tree which can withstand harsh desert environments, and can be used for greening purposes whilst saving water.
