UAE’s environmental health report improves, but global decline of biodiversity a major concern

But WWF report shows per capita resource use and waste production is still in the world’s top three, and minister describes it as unsustainable.

All environmental effects must be considered … the Dubai Marina fountain area at night. Jaime Puebla / The National

DUBAI // The average amount of productive land and water each UAE resident needs to replace the resources they use, and absorb the waste they produce, has dropped over four years, a report says.

But the Living Planet Report, released every two years by the World Wildlife Fund, shows the country, and the rest of the world, must work much harder to lower carbon emissions and curb use of resources, UAE experts say.

The world’s population is using natural resources 1.5 times more quickly than they can be replenished.

Ida Tillisch, director general of Emirates Wildlife Society-World Wide Fund for Nature, said environmental effects must be considered in every aspect of life.

“When constructing a building, water and energy consumption should be factored in at the design stage as well as when the building is in use,” said Ms Tillisch, who is also director general of the UAE’s Ecological Footprint Initiative (EFI).

“By making such smart choices, we can reduce the use of natural resources. The Living Planet Report is telling us that our economic prosperity relies on having a healthy environment. By continuing business as usual, the world will put humanity’s well-being at risk.”

The Living Planet Report measures the Earth’s health. It documents changing biodiversity, ecosystems and use of natural resources.

The report showed the amount of productive land and water needed by residents in the UAE – or the country’s “ecological footprint” – was 9.5 global hectares per capita in 2008, 8.5 in 2010, and 7.75 in 2012.

A global hectare is a weighted average used to report the capacity of the Earth’s productivity and demands made on it.

A global hectare of cropland would be smaller than one of pasture, because more pasture would be needed to provide the same biocapacity as croplands, the Global Footprint Network explains on its website.

Despite its improvement, the UAE has the third-largest ecological footprint, behind Kuwait and Qatar.

“The UAE’s per capita consumption remains high and unsustainable,” said Dr Rashid bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water and chairman of the EFI.

“Addressing this effectively requires our continued attention and efforts to develop programmes that aim to reduce our consumption, with a special focus on reduction of carbon footprint, which comprises 74 per cent of our total ecological footprint in the UAE.”

Environmental issues needed to be given the same priority as economic and social activities, he said.

Collaboration on sustainable development and promoting science-based environmental policy could bring about changes required.

Experts were confident that the country would succeed in lowering its environmental waste through collaborative efforts.

“As we celebrate the UAE’s economic achievements this year, where we were ranked 12th in the world in the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum, we are eager to demonstrate similar results regarding the UAE’s environmental achievements,” Dr bin Fahad said.

Razan Al Mubarak, secretary general of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and vice-chairwoman of EFI, said that organisations in the country were working together to tackle the problems.

The EFI recently implemented a lighting standard for the country by promoting the use of energy-saving lightbulbs among residents and businesses.

Phasing out low-quality, inefficient lighting is part of its aim to assess the effects of policies on reducing the country’s footprint by 2030.

“It has also encouraged science-based policy development, such as the recent development of the UAE lighting regulation that is in effect across the country, to support decision-makers in reducing the country’s carbon emissions,” Ms Al Mubarak said.

“Such policies can help the country reduce its carbon footprint and provide more sustainable choices to consumers.”