ABU DHABI // Wife of UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, Ban Soon-taek, was given a tour of the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve and the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital on Tuesday, part of her visit to the capital this week.
Mrs Ban Soon-taek was hosted by the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) as she visited the two key sites showcasing Abu Dhabi’s biodiversity.
While at the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve — established in 1988 by the late Sheikh Zayed, and managed by EAD — she observed the wetlands, salt flats, fossilised sands and dunes, and more than 250 species of birds, and numerous insects tin the five sq km area.
“Al Wathba is a testament to all that is possible when ingenuity and a commitment to environmental protection come together,” she said.
At the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, she was welcomed and received by the hospital’s director, Dr Margit Gabriele Muller, and was give a close look at the veterinary health care services provided exclusively for falcons.
“It was an amazing experience for me to visit the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital,” she said. “Being up close with the majestic falcons and learning about the great history of falconry in the UAE are memories I will treasure.”
Mrs Ban Soon-taek is in Abu Dhabi accompanying her husband Ban Ki-moon, who earlier this week attended the official opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016 and delivered the keynote address.
Over the past 40 years, she has been involved in activities to advance the cause of children, women and senior citizens, and helped launch the United Nations Development Fund for Women.
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