Protection campaign urges responsible driving in the UAE’s deserts

Dune-bashing, one of the most popular pastimes in the UAE, can also be one of the most detrimental to the environment, according to organisers of the Desert Protection Campaign.

Dune-bashing is popular with drivers in the UAE but campaigners say the rich desert environment must also be protected with an awareness-raising programme in its eighth year. Jeff Topping / The National
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ABU DHABI // Dune-bashing, one of the most popular pastimes in the UAE, can also be one of the most detrimental to the environment, according to organisers of the Desert Protection Campaign.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Environment and Water launched the eighth annual four-month campaign to raise awareness and tap into what organisers believe are emotional ties people have for the desert.

“Everyone takes it for granted, except for Bedouins because they understand how volatile it is and respect it,” said Arif Ali Al Abbar, chairman of the campaign.

“This is our heritage, not only our environment, and society must understand that. Even people who haven’t grown up in this region find a desire to protect the desert.”

He said that the campaign will hold daily events for the next four months. In fact, it will be running the very activities that can be most detrimental to the desert – if done in protected places.

“We want to teach them the proper way of doing things, so we’ll have motorcycles, dune-bashing, horse riding, several events that are both fun and educational,” he said.

Although seemingly barren, the topmost layer of desert sand harbours dormant seeds waiting to spring to life at first rain. If unearthed by wheels, however, the seeds will fail to sprout and disrupt the delicate ecosystem, Mr Al Abbar said.

To spread information about the campaign, organisers will set up a permanent headquarters in Ruwayyah, where the staff will organise events.

“We want people to have fun and continue their pastime in an environmentally conscious way – that way they can enjoy the desert while still preserving it,” said Mr Al Abbar.

The Desert Protection Campaign will increase awareness through seminars, workshops and recreational activities such as horseback and motorcycle rides. In addition, it will organise tours to visit camps and other tourist destinations.

This year’s launch also involves a website to provide information to those who are unable to visit the locations.

“Our work has shown its results, I think partly due to the fact that people care deeply about the desert, its beauty and what it means for our history,” said Aisha Al Abdooli, director of the Ministry of Environment and Water’s education and awareness department.

According to the ministry’s statistics derived from an annual survey of 4,000 randomly selected people in the UAE, the campaign announced that 63 per cent were sensitive to environmental consciousness in 2014.

The aim is to raise the percentage of awareness to 71 per cent by 2021.

“The efforts are collective, not only from us but also from society to make use of what we are working on, the environment matters to a lot of people, and given the chance they will try to make a change,” Ms Al Abdooli said.

nalwasmi@thenational.ae