Protection of environment and sustainable development are topics that receive great attention from the UAE government right from the beginning.

As countries across the globe marked World Environment Day on Friday, the UAE had special reasons to feel proud, as it made a leap in the expansion and development of protected areas, increasing from 44 in 2019 to 49 in 2020.

As Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, well pointed out, forging ahead in the economic sphere has never been enough for the UAE. A parallel priority is to ensure that the country’s economic growth does not come at the expense of the environment.

In Dr Al Zeyoudi words, “We are proud to note that Sharjah has designated five new protected areas this year, taking the number of natural reserves in the UAE to 49. The addition, coupled with the expansion of Al Dilfaweya Protected Area in the emirate of Abu Dhabi by 45 sq.km, has increased the total protected area from 14.8 per cent of the country’s territory in 2019 to 15.5 per cent in 2020, accounting for 18.4 per cent of its terrestrial territory and 12.01 per cent of its marine territory.”

Creating and maintaining a sustainable environment and infrastructure is a pillar of National Agenda in line with Vision 2021.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has made great strides in this area while developing the Smart Map of Natural Capital of the UAE, the National Plan of Action for the Conservation of Marine Turtles in the UAE 2019-2021, and the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks 2018-2021.

The ministry has also updated the list of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, IBAs, in the country and launched the national ecotourism project “The UAE’s Natural Wonders”.

On a global scale, the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, a key philanthropic endowment, provides grants to species conservation initiatives. To date, the fund has supported the conservation of 1,350 endangered species in 160 countries to the tune of more than $20 million.

Those with passion to protect nature deserve recognition. In conjunction with World Environment Day and following on from a nationwide search, Connect with Nature has announced the selection of its official “UAE Ambassadors for Nature”.

The ambassadors include a group of 20 homegrown heroes committed to championing nature and solving the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges.

The carefully chosen ambassadors have shown eagerness to unleash their curiosity, explore their passion, and unlock the opportunity to develop new skills to drive positive change in the UAE.

Globally, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss are serious challenges that need to be addressed.

On this year’s World Environment Day, the UN has drawn links between the health of the planet, and human health, and the importance of protecting biodiversity, the system that supports life.

At least 70 per cent of emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, are crossing from the wild, to people, and transformative actions are urgently required to protect environment and human rights. This was loud and clear message from David Boyd, the independent UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment.

Countries certainly need to take urgent action to protect the environment and stop climate disruption, biodiversity loss, toxic pollution and diseases that jump from animals to humans.