Winners of school gardening contest feted

Three winners of the school gardening competition, run by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MoCCAE, between October 2018 and April 2019, were presented with awards by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

The People of Determination Care and Rehabilitation Center in Ajman came first, while Umm Al Arab School in Abu Dhabi took second place, and the Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai finished third.

Some 44 schools from across the UAE participated in the competition which was sponsored by Al Anood Livestock. The scheme aligned with the Cabinet Resolution No. 31 of 2018 on community plantation and agriculture, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

“The competition aimed to strengthen the connection of Emiratis with their environment and their agricultural heritage, as envisioned by the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and reinforced by our wise leadership today,” Dr. Al Zeyoudi said while congratulating the winners.

The competition details can be found on the ministry website which also contains an easy-to-understand instruction manual on crop cultivation as well as the best time for planting and harvesting each crop.

MoCCAE

Environmental action has witnessed significant developments at the institutional level over four decades, starting with the Supreme Committee for Environment in 1975, to the Federal Environment Agency in 1993, and then the Ministry of Environment and Water in 2006. These developments reflected, on one hand, the progress of interest in environmental issues, locally and internationally, and on the other hand, the expansion in the perception of the value of environmental element in the overall development in the UAE.

In 2016, the UAE leadership expanded the role of the Ministry of Environment and Water, to manage all aspects related to international and domestic climate change affairs. The establishment of the newly named Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is an important milestone. It enhances the UAE’s efforts to addressing the issue of climate change, through the implementation of comprehensive policies and initiatives to mitigate and adapt to climate change and protect our unique environmental systems.  

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment will continue to enhance domestic efforts across all fields relating to its functions, so as to achieve sustainable development and to maintain the UAE’s position as a regional and international leader of action. The Ministry will continue to support partnerships with governments and non-governmental partners. The Ministry shall follow the guiding principle established by our wise leaders and continue to build on the achievements over the previous years.         

Some of the duties and responsibilities of  MoCCAE  includes developing plans, strategies and policies related to the environment, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries in addition to combating desertification and preserving biodiversity, increasing the contribution of environmental, agricultural, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors to the GDP to ensure food security and biosafety in the country through the implementation of safety measures and the prevention of epidemics and other diseases and  integrating environmental protection in socio-economic development plans and promote sustainable use of vital resources. It also includes enhancing the quality of agricultural, livestock and fisheries production and establish laboratories and centers for research and applied studies to support the objectives of the Ministry and proposing legislation and formulate plans, strategies, policies, programs and initiatives that mitigate the impact of climate change in the country.

WAM