Minister of Environment and Water praises UAE leadership's interest in biodiversity

Abu Dhabi (WAM): Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, on Wednesday praised the huge interest of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Their Highnesses, Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, in preserving biodiversity in UAE. "The commitment of UAE to protect, sustain and nurture biodiversity is a pillar of our environmental policy. Through this commitment, UAE has made a number of significant achievements including regulations aimed at preserving biodiversity, expanding marine and wildlife reserves, national programmes and plans for protecting and breeding endangered species for the eventual release to their habitat, in addition to plans for protecting fragile habitats from urban expansion in accordance with UAE. Vision 2021," said Minister Fahad, in a press release on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), celebrated worldwide on 22nd May, this year under the theme "Island Biodiversity." According to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Islands and their surrounding near-shore marine areas constitute unique ecosystems often comprising many plant and animal species that are endemic found nowhere else on Earth. The legacy of a unique evolutionary history these ecosystems are irreplaceable treasures. They are also key to the livelihood, economy, well-being and cultural identity of 600 million islanders one-tenth of the world's population. UAE which is party to the CBD since 2000 has officially designated 22 nature reserve (bioreserves) so far, in addition to a number of protected areas which have not been officially declared as reserves, according to Minister Fahad. The theme Island Biodiversity was chosen this year to coincide with the designation by the United Nations General Assembly of 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States. In addition, the theme was chosen to correspond with the timing of COP decision XI/15 paragraph 1(a) "to strengthen the implementation of the Programme of Work on Island Biodiversity". CBD entered into force on 29th December 1993 and has 3 main objectives: The conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources. The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was partly done because it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations for the date of 29 December, given the number of holidays that coincide around that time of year. – Emirates News Agency, WAM