Dubai Municipality organised a virtual seminar under the slogan ‘Green Recovery’, coinciding with the National Environment Day celebrations, which falls on 4 February every year. The symposium witnessed the presence of a group of participants at the local, Arab and international levels.
The symposium shed light on the concept of green recovery, the experience of the countries participating in green recovery, and how to benefit from each country’s experience, in addition to screening films related to the field of environment that showcase the concepts of environmental recovery.
Dubai Municipality participated in the 23rd National Environment Day celebrations under the slogan ‘Nature-based solutions’, which reinforces its vision of building a happy and sustainable city. The Municipality Environment Department organised several activities to mark the occasion, which highlights one of the important environmental issues in the UAE.
Dubai Municipality had sought the cooperation of a number of entities to enrich the symposium’s content and learn about the best practices undertaken by various bodies to preserve the environment and their positive participation in protecting it. The Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi participated through a presentation focusing on renewable energy in the water and agricultural sectors in the UAE.
The Emirates Environmental Group shared its thoughts on the carbon footprint and its impact on climate change in the UAE
The Abu Dhabi Environment Network delivered a lecture on the carbon footprint and climate change. The Environment Centre for Arab Towns presented the experience of implementing the Environmental Education and Blue Science Organisation programmes that promote a sustainable lifestyle and put forward initiatives to conserve natural resources and the importance of establishing and practising environmental education and positive sustainability policies.
In addition to that, the Emirates Environmental Group shared its thoughts on the carbon footprint and its impact on climate change in the UAE. The participation varied from entities of neighbouring countries, such as the Arab Gulf University in Bahrain talked of the effects of the pandemic on the water sector in the GCC countries, while the focus of the Arab Forum for Smart Cities of Jordan was on green recovery and climate change. The Jordanian strategy for green recovery was presented by the green leadership projects in Jordan. The symposium concluded with a panel discussion titled ‘Comparisons in Green Recovery around the World’, moderated by Dubai Municipality in cooperation with Aachen University of Germany.
During the seminar, a set of recommendations were presented to maintain green recovery and achieve sustainability for the economy and the effective use of natural resources, and as an extension to celebrate this important day in the local environmental agenda.
In cooperation with the Atlantis Hotel, Dubai Municipality released ten Arabian carpet sharks in the Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary, as these fish were bred in the Atlantis Hotel Aquarium with the intention of releasing them into the marine environment to contribute to their preservation and reproduction.
The National Environment Day celebration, under the slogan of green recovery, comes through the adoption of a wide range of policies and measures in the field of ability to achieve green recovery.
The UAE has adopted an approach based on a balance between the requirements of development and environmental resources sustainability. The package of policies and measures include the economic diversification policy to move from an oil-based economy to a diversified and sustainable economy based on knowledge and innovation. It also features the general environmental policy and the urban planning policy. These will ensure a sustainable environment, food security policy, a policy of protecting ecosystems, natural resources and biodiversity, and finally a climate change policy and adaptation to it.
It is noteworthy that within the framework of Dubai Municipality’s efforts towards achieving the National Air Quality Index of 90%, in 2017 the Municipality, in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Executive Council, launched the first integrated strategy to maintain air quality in Dubai, with a future vision towards achieving the national air quality index. The strategy is a close framework for all strategic partners in the public and private sectors, which unites all efforts.
The UAE has adopted an approach based on a balance between the requirements of development and environmental resources sustainability
The strategy included smart performance indicators to reduce air emissions within a specific timeframe for all relevant sectors (energy production sector, transport sector (land, air, sea) and industry sector). Achievement rates are evaluated annually by the Municipality, in direct coordination with the stakeholders in various sectors. The implementation of the strategy resulted in a package of specific initiatives to reduce air emissions that support the emirate’s developmental and environmental path, which resulted in a remarkable improvement in the air quality sector in the emirate.
Dubai Municipality also launched the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which aims to develop a long-term proactive plan to ensure the readiness of the relevant sectors and their adaptation to future climate changes, as the strategy included analysis and technical evaluation of the current and future status of climate change on several sectors such as the energy and water sector, infrastructure, food, biodiversity, coastal area, air quality, public health, the business development sector, tourism and other related sectors have resulted in a package of strategic initiatives and future plans by all sectors in order to enhance the efficiency of their operations and support the achievement of strategic goals of adaptation to climate change in the Emirate of Dubai.