We need to protect our tradition

A reader calls for conservation of traditional settlements. Other topics: insurance, house rents, football, nature, gorilla killing

A reader calls for conservation of traditional villages and settlements. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

I was disheartened to read about the plight of the residents of Wam village (Fujairah's Wam village gasps for breath, June 1). The authorities concerned need to make more effort to protect these settlements and help improve them instead of allowing their population to struggle for basic necessities.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

Better to insure your valuables

It is sad that the victims of fire were shunned by the insurance company (Ajman One tenants furious at Dh10,000 fire compensation cheques, May 30). This is a common problem with insurance firms that needs to be sorted out.

However, tenants would be wise to insure their personal valuables. It does not cost much and the benefits are huge.

Aman Asghar, Dubai

House rents unlikely to fall

Rents will stay the same (Rents ought to come down, May 31). I suspect they are going to deliberately leave some units vacant to compensate.

There are a number of expatriate property owners (or even locals) who would have to default on their mortgages if rents went down. They can’t afford to let that happen. It’s not actually a terrible idea, and at least rents won’t keep increasing.

Lisa Kereliuk, Abu Dhabi

It’s time to bring the rents and property prices down.

Dina Abou-Zahr, Abu Dhabi

Get football facts right

What kind of football ignorant must you be to call Romania and Albania low-profile teams (Euro 2016 Group A preview: France, Switzerland, Albania and Romania, May 23). If you followed football qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers in the past five years, you would see how strong these teams were.

Albania gave France a very difficult time in the group friendlies, while Romania and France went toe-to-toe the last times they faced each other. Three draws and one win for France that was due to Pedro Proença’s offside miscall.

Name withheld by request

Nature is fuel for the soul

Nature is fuel for the soul (Saving ducks quacks me up, June 1). Often when we feel exhausted we take a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energised is to connect with nature. Interacting with nature and the animal world is important for both mental and physical health.

Many studies have linked exposure to nature with increased energy and a heightened sense of well-being. For example, people on wilderness excursions report feeling more alive and that just recalling outdoor experiences increases feelings of happiness and health. Other studies suggest that the very presence of nature helps to ward off feelings of exhaustion and that the majority of people report increased energy when placed in outdoor activities.

As far as saving the ducks are concerned, it’s good in every way.

In a place where we hardly get to interact with nature, these are privileges that we must be allowed to enjoy.

David Brown, Dubai

Who is at fault for gorilla death?

In reference to the news report US zoo defends killing gorilla that grabbed boy (June 1), the mother was "busy on social media" when the child climbed through.

Recent footage shows the gorilla holding hands with the child. About 800 gorillas are left in the world and they shot him rather than tranquillise him. Sad.

Judith Cooke, US

The zoo and the state should charge the mother of the boy with negligence.

Rosil Azawi, Sharjah