Prince Albert II of Monaco bags Zayed Environmental Award

Abu Dhabi: UAE Minister of Environment and Water, Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, last night announced the names of the winners of the 6th edition of the Zayed International Prize for the Environment, the biggest environmental award on the international arena. Prince Albert II of Monaco was declared the winner. The Award aims to support and encourage environmental works of distinguished international individual and group initiatives which contribute to achieving sustainability of natural resources and energy, in addition to encouraging individuals and institutions all over the world to be distinguished in research and innovation in order to secure solutions for environmental issues. A renowned conservationist and advocate for the earth's marine and polar environments, Prince Albert was honoured for the prolific environmental work carried out by the Prince Albert II Foundation, which he founded in 2006 to carry out environmental work not only in Monaco but also in other parts of the world. The Foundation has tackled a number of issues related to biodiversity, water security and energy efficiency. It took up the protection of the Bluefin tuna in 2008, and, as a result of its efforts, a ban on the fish has been implemented in Monaco - the world's first 'Bluefin tuna free' country. The foundation has supported more than 127 sustainable and ethical projects focusing on climate in locations as diverse as the Mediterranean Basin, Kenya, Mali, Indonesia and Brazil. It has also supported projects related to developing renewable energies, combating the loss of biodiversity, improving universal access to clean water, and fighting desertification. The second category award for Scientific and/or Technological Achievement in Environment, with prize money of US$300,000 was jointly given to India's Dr. Ashok Khosla, Founder of the Development Alternatives Group, and Malaysia's Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid, Co-Chair of the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report. The Zayed Prize was established in 1999 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to acknowledge the environmental commitment of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is the most prestigious and valuable international environmental award worldwide, worth US$1 million (Dh3.67 million). – Emirates News Agency, WAM