Air quality high in ‘environmentally aware’ Sharjah

In our Page 1 headline Air pollution in Sharjah ‘as toxic as Beijing’ (March 3), we inadvertently gave the impression that pollution levels in Sharjah are consistently as high as those in Beijing. We would like to clarify that this is not the case. The air quality in Sharjah is generally of a very high standard.

As we pointed out in the article and would like to stress again, the causes of the pollution are largely beyond the control of the authorities in Sharjah.

Indeed, many of the pollutants monitored are thought to have originated well beyond the borders of both Sharjah and the UAE.

As Dr Tariq Majeed, associate professor of physics at the American University of Sharjah, told our reporter in the original article, the possible sources of the pollution could be a considerable distance away.

Dr Majeed, the leader of the project that has been looking at air quality, also pointed out that the team’s research was still incomplete and that more data was needed to explain the large variations in pollutants that had been discovered. The project continues until the summer when a report will be presented at a scientific conference in Moscow.

Sharjah is recognised as a highly environmentally aware emirate and is actively engaged in promoting the most sustainable living and working conditions for its residents and visitors.

The Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority has established ambitious goals for creating wildlife reserves – marine and terrestrial – preserving the natural fauna and flora, and raising awareness of environmental issues.

Only last week Sharjah Maritime Museum, Sharjah Aquarium and Bait Sheikh Saeed bin Hamad Al Qasimi organised a major clean-up campaign at Kalba Port, removing about five tons of rubbish.

We regret any misunderstanding that may have arisen as a result of our article.