DUBAI, 23 January 2008 — The Ras Al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai has been listed as the only protected wetland in the United Arab Emirates that falls under the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, and ratified officially by the UAE government only last year.

Hamdan Al-Shaer, director of the Environmental Department at the Dubai Municipality, said officials from the department have attended recently the Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting of the Convention on Wetlands in Bangkok.

The meeting was held Jan. 14-18 in preparation for the 10th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP10), which will take place in Changwon, South Korea, later this year.

Al-Shaer said the Ras Al-Khor Sanctuary, located at the far end of the Dubai Creek, is one of the few urban protected areas in the world recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. This sanctuary is established by fulfilling all the standard criteria of protected areas defined by IUCN — the World Conservation Union.

He noted that the sanctuary is a safe haven for a variety of plants, animals and birds, which are challenged by the demanding climatic regime, the geology and other physical conditions.

Threats and Pressures

Being within the urban area, the sanctuary was always under regular pollution threats and pressures from human activity. But driven by its strong commitment to protect the invaluable treasure of flora and fauna, the Dubai Municipality has launched the Ras Al-Khor Sanctuary as its prime strategic project.

A series of measures including the enactment of comprehensive laws and statutory regulations for the protection of the sanctuary and ensuring sustainable development have been taken,” said Al-Shaer.

The sanctuary, which supports high species concentration and diverse ecosystems, is the first wildlife sanctuary in the Emirate of Dubai.

Covering a 6.2-square kilometer area surrounded by a buffer zone, the sanctuary holds approximately 266 species of fauna and 47 species of flora, say researchers.The existence of various ecosystems within the sanctuary — mangroves, mudflats, lagoons, sabkhas, reed beds and shrub lands — contributes to rich biological diversity; as these support a variety of plants, insects, mollusks, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals. The majestic flamingoes in the background of lush green mangroves are most visible and attractive natural features of the sanctuary.