RAK reserve has green goals in sight

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority this year announced its commitment to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development campaign.

The success of breeding programmes has led to oryx herds outgrowing the space available in wildlife reserves. Antonie Robertson / The National

Ras Al Khaimah // Efforts are under way to turn the Al Wadi conservation reserve into a centre for responsible eco-tourism.

The RAK Tourism Development Authority this year announced its commitment to the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development campaign.

“There needs to be an emirate-level strategy for conservation,” said Ryan Ingram, an environmental consultant at the reserve, which is now run by the Ritz Carlton.

“Sustainability and tourism are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of electricity and water consumption and food waste. So to get it sustainable takes responsible actions.”

Mr Ingram has been working on the oryx and gazelle breeding programme in his role as resort director.

Now an independent consultant, he recently helped to launch a pilot forestry programme founded by Goumbook to plant 4,000 indigenous ghaf and sidr trees in a designated area within the reserve over the next four years.

Another of the resort’s responsible tourism projects will be an animal sanctuary where children and families will be able to get up close to creatures including rescued goats and meerkats.

The sanctuary will be managed with the RAK Animal Welfare Centre.

Dr Chenjerai Sigauke from the centre said the resort’s support was crucial because the centre could not look after all of its abandoned animals indefinitely.

“These animals can be taken care of while we try to find them new homes,” Dr Sigauke said. “At our centre, we only have facilities for dogs and cats.

“The centre will teach children how animals are cared for and showing them the need to take care of them.”

The resort is also introducing charging stations for electric cars, plans to better manage food waste, removing endangered fish from its menu and more community engagement, general manager Amit Arora said.

“We can cater to schools and educational groups,” Mr Arora said. “It’s a way to open up the resort and reserve to the community and not to limit ourselves to a hotel.”

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