People power the ‘hour’

Thousands join Earth Hour 2011 activities in UAE 

By PMA RASHEED 

27 March 2011, The Gulf Today 

Despite the disruptive climatic conditions that restrained the normal pace of life in the UAE on Saturday, thousands of residents congregated at hundreds of outdoor venues across the seven emirates for the world’s largest civil action on climate change- Earth Hour 2011.

Sandstorms curtained the UAE’s iconic landmarks’ visibility during the day, while the darkness draped the popular attractions at night between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, joining the global action towards a sustainable future.

The UAE residents from every walk of life, in communities large and small, symbolically dimmed lights in their residential premises on Saturday evening, in solidarity with hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi — the resting place of the UAE’s founding father, and the tallest manmade structure in the world Burj Khalifa temporarily went dark during the hour, in addition to hundreds of other landmarks and residential premises across the UAE.

Showing solidarity with activists across the globe on a mission to raise awareness on keeping the earth sustainable, scores of people in the UAE gathered in parks, streets, town squares and homes and witnessed the lights going out on iconic landmarks and city skylines. They captured the moments of the Earth Hour on videos or still cameras, and pledged to conserve energy for the future.

Patron of the Earth Hour in the UAE, the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWF) said the participation from the UAE government and private sectors and social organisations exceeded that of the last year. “The most significant message this Earth Hour observation spreads is the importance of using natural light, instead of artificial light by letting the sunshine in where there are windows,” said Ida Tillich, acting director general of EWS-WWF.

“It was all about giving people a voice and working together to create a better future. The people stood up to take responsibility to protect the environment, turning off all lights along with hundreds of million people across the world,” she added.

“Residents of the seven emirates expressed their commitment to Earth Hour by demonstrating action for the environment and sharing messages with the rest of the community. The campaign will continue to showcase a long-term commitment to evolve beyond switching off the lights for an hour,” Tillich remarked.

“We received immense support from government institutions, businesses and individuals throughout several emirates. The list of UAE landmarks took part in this global climate event included dozens of organizations across the emirates,” she noted.

According to her, observation of the cause turned out to be an excellent example of how the private sector, the government, educators and communities could work together with to strengthen and advance the awareness of our country on environmental issues.

Hind Ahmed Shaker, Director of Government Communications at the Ministry of Environment and Water, said the observation of the Earth Hour should inspire us to reduce our energy use. “It’s the contemplation of the one thing we all have in common - our planet. “The Earth Hour is about the responsibility that all of us have in protecting our environment,” she added.

Sameera Fernandes, a communications professional in Dubai, said the UAE has one of the highest ecological footprints per capita, so our role in addressing what is unequivocally the greatest threat to the planet today is absolutely vital.

“The Earth Hour encourages individuals, commercial establishments and government institutions to demonstrate their leadership on environmental solutions through actions,” she added.

Saeed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), hailed said the solidarity of all residents in Dubai to shut down lights and unnecessary electric goods during the earth hour.

He advised the residents to continue the passion and spirit of conservation which they showed during the event by going beyond the Earth Hour and make a pledge, large or small, to preserve natural resources in their daily lives.

“The DEWA was the first institution to support Earth Hour since 2008. The authority has been implementing various programmes to educate its customers and the community on the responsible use of electricity and water, conservation of the environment and the protection of our planet,” noted Al Tayer.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties talked about participation of Emaar in the Earth Hour prgramme, “The Earth Hour is one of the key sustainability initiatives that we undertake across our communities to further strengthen awareness on climate change, while at the same time driving the participatory action of our residents. “The participation of our communities will contribute to tangible energy gains in addition to encouraging people to be more judicious about energy use.”

(Pix by Nisham A Manaf)

Environment ministry inspects organic farms

By PMA RASHEED 

15 March 2011, The Gulf Today

THE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) carried out a nationwide inspection visits, since the beginning of this year, at a total of 51 farms, which includes organic farms and agricultural lands that are currently being transformed to organic farms.

The inspections aimed at monitoring the actual cultivated space at these sites, the quantity of production for each crop, and compliance to the requirements for organic agricultural practices, a spokesperson of the ministry said.

According to him, the ministry’s efforts are towards making the standards for organic farming in the UAE comparable to other developed countries in the world.

The federal Law No.5 of 2009 regarding organic products outlines strict guidelines on the production of organic food in the UAE to encourage the local agricultural sector and boost the stocks of locally grown fresh produces.

Specialists at the environment ministry certify organic farms, after thoroughly testing the soil quality at their premises at three different levels, including ground level, 60cm depth and 120cm depth. The crop samples were also tested during three different stages of growth to pick up any traces of chemicals.

“The technical team of the MoEW collected samples of soil, water and fruits for detailed analysis at the MoEW’s central lab.  The inspectors provided a number of solutions to farmers and owners of the organic farms, including a list of organic fertilisers and organic pesticides available in the market. The farmers also were educated on the pest control and mechanism to prevent diseases that might affect the crops. The authority will also issue scientific guides to the farmers on the practices and fertilisation procedures at the organic farms," said the MoEW official.

“The ministry targets production of higher volume of organic foods to raise the level of food security and standards of food safety in the country. The organic agriculture practices should be ensured of adherence to the regulations in different stages of production and their distribution,” he noted.

“The MoEW has scheduled periodic follow-up visits, after issuing certificates based on the verification of the farming and irrigation methods, organic fertilisation, processing of the lands for the planting season, cleanliness, and inspection of storing facilities.”

According to a 2010 statistics, the UAE had 13 organic farms with 23 more being developed before the end of 2011. The first farm to be certified was in Sharjah in 2005, which produced organic vegetables and dates.
The MoEW had planned to develop 3,000 hectares of dedicated organic farming agricultural land, even though the production process might face hindrances due to the arid desert climate.

The organic food produces are of higher quality, safer for human consumption, and free from residues of pesticides and all forms of pollutants. Such farming system permanently maintains the fertility of the soil in the long run.

The MoEW insists on the organic farms that they must be free from sewage or treated sewage water and should be located far from chemical plants, cement factories and highways or air polluted areas.

“Mineral fertilisers and chemical pesticides, and potassium nitrate or sodium are not permitted for use in the organic agricultural system. The organic pesticides are natural and biological resistant products that prevent insects or fungus,” said a statement from the MoEW.

“The use of hormones and growth regulators such urea, nitrate, sulfate, ammonia, ammonium nitrate, sulfate, potassium, magnesium and phosphate also should not be used at these premises,” it said.

(Pix : Supplied)

S.Korean president visits Dubai this week

By PMA RASHEED 

12 March 2011, The Gulf Today

The President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak will visit Dubai this week to receive Zayed International Prize for Environment.

Organisers of the award said that Lee Myung-bak will receive the prize in Dubai from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai at a special Award Ceremony on Monday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Lee had been announced as the winner of the top award in the Zayed International Prize for global leadership in environment earlier this month for the year 2011 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to implement “green growth” concept.

The “green growth” is a new paradigm for economic development that binds together environment protection and economic prosperity, creating new growth engines and jobs through green technology and clean energy.

“President Lee Myung-bak’s leadership was a central driver in transforming the Republic of Korea’s development path into a low carbon, resource efficient and green economy,” a spokesperson of the award committee said.

“The prize value of $1 million is divided into three categories with the top honour of $500,000 being awarded for Global leadership in environment, which is given to an individual or organisation with a clear impact on the international policy in protecting environment and achieving sustainable development,” he added. 

The jury decided that the achievements of the prize winners fulfil the objectives of the Zayed Prize in line with the philosophy of the late Sheikh Zayed.

42% air pollution in Dubai caused by vehicles

By PMA RASHEED

7 Feb 2011, The Gulf Today

THE transport sector contributes about 42 per cent of air pollution in Dubai, and the carbon dioxide emission per vehicle varies from 110 to 250 g/km, revealed Dubai Municipality on Sunday.

From the total air pollution, over 82 per cent comes from car petrol emissions alone. This is in addition to the tens of thousands of other vehicles that enter the city from other emirates.

The figures were revealed by the civic body while announcing the second edition of “Car-Free Day”, which will be staged on Feb.9. Hundreds of civic employees will be leaving their cars at home and taking public transport to work.

According to the figures made available in 2009, there were 1,021,880 vehicles in Dubai and they emit 23,34,762 kg carbon dioxide per day.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of the DM, announced the environmental initiative designed to cut the number of vehicles on Dubai roads.

“This year more local departments will join more than 1,500 employees in the municipality headquarters and the nearby offices in using only public transport modes to reach their offices,” he added.

“Other participating government departments included the Land Department, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Etisalat and the Roads and Transport Authority. All the staff may use public buses, the Metro or water taxis, encouraging the residents to consider alternative transport means for their daily destinations,” Lootah elaborated.

“The private buses that the DM uses to take some of its employees to offices will be left in the garage, and municipal car parks will be closed. We want to encourage the local community to care for their city the best way, by reducing the number of vehicles,” he noted.

According to him, the inaugural edition of the Car-Free Day saved the environment from three tonnes of carbon dioxide emission as more than 1,000 vehicles of employees did not reach the municipality. This is in addition to the vehicles of the DM customers.

“More environmental benefits are expected to be achieved this year from the participation of other government departments in practicing sustainable environmental behaviours and reducing the emission of carbon dioxide that pollute the air,” said the chief of municipality.

He added that the DM will release a detailed report about the result of the initiative. “The study will include the statistics about the volume of carbon dioxide emission reduced due to the initiative by calculating the number of participants and the kind of vehicles they use.”

“The kilometres to be saved per employee may vary as the employees travel daily to the DM offices from different locations,” he said.

Lootah urged the residents to take responsibility for the protection of the environment.

Lootah said the civic body decided to adopt the Car Free Day concept as it facilitates a number of steps that enhance the opportunities for achieving sustainable urban transport, followed by enhanced air quality in the urban area as well as reduction in carbon dioxide emission, which is considered to be a hot gas that causes climate change.

As per the DM’s 2009 statistics, there are 841,444 petrol cars that account for 82.34 per cent of Dubai’s total number of vehicles. The daily CO2 emission from these cars is estimated at 19,221,893kg. About 21,852 petrol trucks come in second place at 2.14 per cent with 499,186kg of CO2 emission.

“While 75,231 diesel cars of the city produce 1,718,572kg of CO2 daily at 7.36 per cent, and 2,456 diesel trucks emit 56,105kg of CO2 at 0.24 per cent, 22,481 diesel buses emit 513,555kg CO2 per day at 2.20 per cent, 24,435 heavy diesel trucks emit 558,192kg CO2 at 2.39 per cent, 18,653 heavy diesel buses emit 426,108kg CO2 at 1.83 per cent and 15,328 petrol motorcycles emit 350,152kg CO2 at 1.50 per cent.”

Dubai removes 7,205 ton waste in four days

By PMA RASHEED 

The Gulf Today, 1 Nov 2010

A massive volume of litter estimated at 7,205 tonnes was removed in four days from different parts of Dubai, revealed the civic body.

A total of 61 abandoned vehicles were removed from different parts of the city during the UAE’s largest clean-up operation “Clean up the World 2010,” carried out by Dubai Municipality (DM) across the Emirate between Oct.26 and 29.

A total of 73 pieces of bulk garbage such as furniture, air-conditioners and refrigerators were also collected, according to a senior DM official.

Hassan Makki, Director of Waste Management Department at the DM, said that bachelor accommodation locations in Al Quoz, Nadd Al Hamr, Al Khawaneej, Al Aweer area behind Defence camp and Al Qusais labour camp were mainly targeted in the drive.

“Huge amounts of waste were removed from industrial areas, Jebel Ali Port Free Zone area, Jaddaf Fishermen’s Village, Jumeirah-1 Fishermen’s Village, Ras Al Khor Natural Sanctuary and Heritage Village,” he added.

“Among the city’s leisure destinations, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim open beaches, Hatta Tourist areas, Diving Beach and Creek, Nadd Al Shiba and desert area in Wadi Al Amradi were sanitised,” pointed out Makki.

According to him, as many as 30,170 volunteers from several government and non-government organisations, community groups, schools and private firms joined hands to clean up the city’s streets.

“Indian and Filipino communities in Dubai sent in the largest number of volunteers in cleaning Jaddaf and other areas. Other communities also made their contributions,” he said.

“About 33 companies had lent machinery for towing away vehicles abandoned by owners in different parts of the city,” he added.

The 4-day clean-up campaign was launched on Oct.26 at Jumeirah Beach Residence by Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of the DM.

“23,792 volunteers from 402 private companies, NGOs, community groups, associations, clubs, and hotels, and 17 government departments cleaned up beaches, streets, open areas and several key sites,” noted Makki.
“In addition, 6,378 students from 45 government schools and colleges and 37 private schools and universities participated in the campaign,” he added.

Dubai's waste triples in 9 years

By PMA RASHEED 

The Gulf Today, 27 Sept 2010

THERE Emirate of Dubai has generated a massive amount of 3,746,509 tonnes of waste in the year 2009, according to statistics revealed by the civic authorities on Sunday. In 2000, this figure stood at just 1,046,404 tonnes.

The phenomenal growth that Dubai is currently experiencing, has on the flip side, resulted in the heavy increase in the amount of waste being produced in the city, said Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality (DM).

“The amassing of solid municipal waste in the city increases at an average of almost 20 per cent annually,” he said.

Lootah also raised his worries on these issues, as pressure continues to mount on the city’s waste management mechanism. “The issues of daily waste collection as also its treatment through resource recovery or recycling and its safe disposal, constitute heavy municipal tasks,” he added.

Lootah was speaking on Sunday at a workshop for waste-to-energy project for qualified companies.

“Data gathering for the Al Warsan waste-to-energy plant and geotechnical investigation of the site has been completed,” he said.

“The plant to be located at the 30 hectare plot in Al Warsan will be designed to accommodate 6,500 tonnes of waste per day and the expected power that will be generated from the waste is estimated at 150 MW/h,” Rashed Karkain, Head of Technical Support and Studies Section in the DM’s Waste Management Department.

“The project, featuring the latest, state-of-the-art waste to energy conversion and pollution control technologies, is one of the key components of the integrated approach being set up by the municipality to tackle the waste management problem in the city,” he elaborated.

According to Karkain, the prequalification process of the project was conducted in the last quarter of 2009.

“It was participated by 29 groups of companies from all over the world. After a thorough review of the company’s submissions, only 14 selected to join in the bidding process of the project, in which 11 companies participated,” he added.

“The deadline for the submission of bids and proposal is Dec.19, 2010 and the selection of the winning bidder shall be made after a thorough evaluation of their submitted documents,” said the senior MD official.

“Joint venture with public and private participation could also be thought of,” said Karkain.

“The environment-friendly process of energy recovery through combustion of waste producing electricity is well known worldwide.”

“Many countries having best practices in modern and efficient waste management system have Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants operating to stringent environmental controls. So, we decided to establish such a plant in Dubai,” he elaborated.

Ministry shuts down crusher in Fujairah

By PMA RASHEED
15 Sept 2010, The Gulf Today

The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has temporarily suspended operations of a stone crusher unit in the Toyeen area of Fujairah, for not adhering to the environmental and public health safety regulations.

The crusher unit violated conditions for operating the machines, failed to take necessary measures to prevent emission of dust into the surrounding areas, while producing the stones, the MOEW sources confirmed.

The continuous emanation of dense dust had seriously polluted the environment around the site of the industrial unit, as a result of the lack of proper maintenance of the dust control system, said a spokesperson of the ministry.

“The crusher unit has breached the regulations four times during the period from July to early September, not controlling the dust emissions while crushing and transporting the produced stones,” he added.

“Owner of the industrial unit has been asked to close down its functioning for a period of seven days, within that the offences should be corrected by implementing effective dust emission control mechanism at the site,” he added.

“A team of inspectors from the technical section of the MOEW’s regional office in Masafi will give permission for resuming the operation, after reviewing the applied environmental protection methods,” elaborated an MOEW statement issued on Tuesday.

“The work of the quarry and crusher facilities and transfer of the products will be followed-up, monitoring regularly to confirm their compliance with the conditions for protection of the environment,” it read.

According to it, the regional MOEW office collects data from all quarry stations in the area, including the type of equipment used for production. The volume of daily production will also be checked.

“The MOEW has been taking stringent punitive actions against violating operators, to ensure the protection of the environment and reduce emissions from stone crushers.”

“The actions are being imposed on such establishments in collaboration with local environmental authorities and the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour to ensure the implementation of regulatory guidelines for the control of quarries and crushers,” said the statement.

The actions were imposed on the offenders, in accordance with the UAE Federal Law No.24/1999 and the regulations of Ministerial Council resolution No.20/2008 and the Ministerial Decree No.110 issued in February 2010.

Environmentalists say that quarries and cement factories pose serious environmental impact on the mountainous regions, which are being dug up to produce stones and building materials for the construction sector.

Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water had said that the ministry classified quarries into three categories — green, yellow and red.

“The quarried were classified in accordance with their adherence with safety and preventive systems aimed at reducing dust pollution,” he added.

“The red category quarries did'nt have dust control systems to reduce the dust pollution,” he pointed out.

Nearly half of UAE residents still prefer plastic bags

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 14 Sept 2010

WHEN it comes to shopping, about 48 per cent of the UAE residents still prefer plastic carrier bags rather than eco-friendly alternatives, according to the federal environmental watchdog.

At the same time, 84 per cent of the population believes that they have the spirit to reduce consumption of plastic bags, revealed a recent survey by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW).

The study, aimed at profiling the “UAE free of plastic bags” campaign, has been carried out by the ministry to screen the rates of residents’ consumption of both plastic and biodegradable bags.

The preliminary results of the survey pointed out that 65 per cent of the UAE residents consume less than 20 plastic bags a week, while 55 per cent re-use plastic bags.

Dr Maryam Hassan Al Shinasi, executive director for technical affairs at the MoEW, said that 85 per cent of the survey respondents were aware of the health and environmental dangers due to the use of plastic, and 93 per cent of them were ready to support initiatives to limit the use of plastic bags.

“Only 35 per cent of the survey respondents, [however], were satisfied about the role of governments in educating the public on the hazards of plastic bag use,” she added.

The MoEW had earlier disclosed that the UAE’s annual consumption of plastic bags had been estimated at one billion plastic carrier bags per year, and plastic materials had been accounted at 10.9 per cent of the country’s total amount of domestic waste.

“Every month, the country produces 8,000 tonnes of plastic films, used as the material to make bags and wrap them,” according to statistics, based on which the ministry issued a ministerial resolution prohibiting printing logos on non-biodegradable plastic carry bags used in supermarkets, retail outlets and other kinds of business establishments.

“Shops were not allowed to print commercial names, products names, advertisements, and anything else on non-biodegradable plastic bags, under the new resolution.”

In the beginning of the current year, the MOEW launched the three-year “UAE free of plastic” campaign, aimed at reducing the use of plastic carrier bags in the country, as a first step towards a complete ban on the bags from the year 2013.

“The drive is expected to significantly protect the country’s environment and public health and animals as plastic bags pose a serious danger to them.”

Dr Al Shinasi noted, “The first phase of the national anti-plastic campaign focused on spreading message among people from all walks of life. The awareness session drew attention to the UAE’s excessive consumption of plastic bags by the residents.”

“The second phase of the UAE-free-of-plastic-bags-drive that has been currently running focuses on the presentation of environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic bags. The campaign’s third stage, defining the legislation against the use of plastic bags and enforcement of the laws, will wind up by the end of 2012,” she added.

According to her, the battle against plastic bags has been announced to inspire the country’s residents to completely discard the habit of plastic bags usage, and protect both human and animal life.

“Another MoEW study disclosed that the plastic bags thrown out carelessly led to the death of large numbers of animals on land and under water. Marine mammals like sea turtles as well as grazing animals such as camels, cows and goats fall victim to the plastic bags that remain trapped inside their digestive systems, eventually leading to their demise,” pointed out Dr Al Shinasi.

According to the study, plastic bags are responsible for 50 per cent of the deaths of camels in the UAE.

“Plastic products challenge the existence of above 200 different marine species, including fish, seals and sea turtles, dolphins and whales. A number of marine species have died due to the toxic impact of the plastic bags, which account for 10 per cent of the total industrial waste ending up in the sea,” she elaborated.

“Plastic carry bags also distort the aesthetic appearance of the cities and add a burden of high waste management expenses. The non-biodegradable bags are one of the gravest environmental pollutants, as the earth needs several years to decompose them,” she opined.

“They turn into one of the most dangerous contaminants on the planet, causing serious environmental imbalance, as a result of the impact of toxic substances left in the soil, besides of course, the pollution that occurs in the seas and lakes,” said Dr Al Shinasi,

“The harmful substances also pose a direct threat to human health when used,” he noted.

According to the latest survey, 83 per cent of the public are aware that the eco-friendly bags have been produced from cotton, linen and paper. The study proposed that 50 per cent more awareness must be spread among the community on the dangers of the plastic bags.

Dr Al Shinasi urged all segments of society to take initiatives individually as well as collectively to reduce the use of plastic bags and contribute to the wellbeing of their surrounding environment.

UAE consumes 14% of world's desalinated water

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 1 Sept 2010

EVEN as the UAE produces nearly 14 per cent of the world’s desalinated water, demand for water in the country is expected to double and reach 9 billion cubic metres by the end of 2030, reveals the federal environmental watchdog.

According to this body, the cost of annual production of desalinated water in the UAE has been estimated at around Dhs11.8 billion — Dhs7.16 per cubic metre.

The Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) has called for implementing integrated national-level programmes to preserve water resources by reducing water depletion, rationalising consumption, and protecting ecosystems.

“The woes due to the scarcity of hygienic water could, otherwise, be the most severe issue in the future,” warns a senior MoEW official.

Dr Maryam Hassan Al Shenasi, Executive Director for Technical Affairs at MoEW, observed, “It’s time to replace traditional agricultural irrigation practices with new irrigation methods and efficient use of advanced techniques like solar energy to significantly reduce water use at farms across the country.”

“As the UAE has relatively weak groundwater reserves, it heavily relies on the desalination of sea water to meet the mass requirement of drinking water, she said.

According to her, in 2008, the entire UAE consumed around 4.5 billion cubic metres of water from both the desalinated stock and underground reserves. The per capita water consumption in the region was at over 150 gallons a year in the same year.

“The country desalinates water at 70 stations across the country. 67 per cent of the total desalinated water production happens in the capital emirate of Abu Dhabi. Dubai stands second in water desalination at 18 per cent, Sharjah comes in the third at 10 per cent, and the rest is produced by other emirates,” elaborated Dr Al Shenasi.

She noted, “The MoEW has planned a set of initiatives to preserve the water resources, to be launched by the beginning of 2011, by introducing efficient energy-consuming vegetable production plans equipped with modern technologies for farming.”

“The UAE can only address its water scarcity and depletion issues and ensure the availability of quality and clean water through national level integrated strategies for environment conservation, protection of water resources of surface, groundwater and sea water and enhancing water security,” she added.

“The largest user of the water in the UAE is the agricultural sector, where the water consumption is at 34 per cent. It’s followed by domestic and industrial sectors at 32 per cent, and forestry at 15 per cent, and landscaping at 11 per cent,” pointed out Dr Al Shenasi.

“The country’s main water supply from the groundwater source is estimated at 51 per cent, and from desalinated sources at 37 per cent, while the treated water is at 12 per cent,” she added.

(Pic by Prasahanth Mukunthan)

Dubai sets up green lab

BY PMA RASHEED
The Gulf Today, 13 Aug 2010

A specialised green laboratory has been set up in Dubai to carry out tests on green building materials and products, as all the new buildings in the Emirate have to comply with the civic body’s green building regulations.

The lab will facilitate application of the requirements and specifications for the green building regulation, which will soon be issued by Dubai Municipality (DM) as the strategy will significantly contribute to environment conservation and reduction of energy consumption in the Emirate.

Hawa Abdullah Bastaki, Director of Dubai Central Laboratory Department (DCLD), has said that a guide outlining an inventory of all green building materials and products has been prepared.

“The user’s guide includes the contact details of suppliers and manufacturers of the green materials. Another guide also will be issued with the names of laboratories for testing these materials,” she added.

“The laboratory has been designed with the global standards, advanced technologies and specialised devices, aimed at facilitating testing services for the manufacturers of green building materials,” noted Bastaki.

According to her, the analysis procedures at the green lab will ensure accuracy and quality of tests as well as the activation of the monitoring role of the central lab.

“The civic body’s engineering materials laboratory has been conducting many physical and mechanical tests on building materials such as concrete, steel, tiles, cement, mortar products, thermal insulation products, humidity insulation products, polystyrene, fly ash, fibreglass bars, plastic pipes, rock wool and glass wool,” she elaborated.

“Such materials are used in civil construction, buildings and construction of roads in accordance with international standards and specifications adopted in this area,” Bastaki added.

“These laboratories also implement monitoring programmes and quality control on materials of roads and bridges by conducting physical and mechanical tests on asphalt mix, rubble, pavement base and under the foundation,” she pointed out.

“Tests have been conducted on 49,157 samples so far, while the number of reports issued was 39,000 within the period referred to,” Bastaki disclosed.

“The procedures will increase customer confidence in the accuracy of the results and give credibility to the products that have been tested.

It has obtained the approval for more than 52 tests in accordance with the international standard ISO17025 specification which facilitates the export and acceptance of these products globally,” she elaborated. According to her, the engineering materials lab has plans to launch new services of analysis related to safety and health of the consumer.

“The range includes testing on paints, mortars, and checking the quality of tyres as well as introducing new tests for asphalt mixes, such as for distortion and cracking,” said Bastaki.

Pest traps set to eliminate red palm weevils from date farms

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 25 July 2010

Implementing further steps to eradicate the damaging red palm weevils that hit date farms, the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has installed several pest traps across such farms in Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain emirates.

A senior MOEW official said that at least 1916 such traps have been set up at the farms as part of the ministry’s strategic objectives towards raising the level of bio-security and food security in the country.

Ismail Hussein Mohammed, Director of the MEOW’s Central Region Office, said that the traps have been implemented by a team of experts at about 4325 farms located in Maliha and Dhaid, Falaj Maala and Kadra and Masfout areas.

“The date farms in these areas accommodate a total of 967,135 palm trees,” he added.

According to him, the methods to eliminate the red palm weevils are part of a national campaign launched by the environment ministry last year and will continue until the end of 2011.

“At least 863,135 trees date palm trees were affected by the weevils,” disclosed Mohammed.

He urged cooperation of farmers and the private sector to implement the mechanism to get rid of the weevils from the plantations.

An MOEW statement said that it is studying the availability of water sources in the farm areas as well as the level of salinity in the water at the farms located in rugged areas.

“The ministry has adopted a number of packages for integrated and effective pest management for the farms, as well as rationalising the use of chemical pesticides in order to protect the palm trees and preserve the environment,” it elaborated.

“The mechanism to control the farm pests has been developed in accordance with measure to effectively maintain the ecological balance between the harmful pests and other useful pests,” pointed out Mohammed.

“The Ministry also has taken remedial actions and preventive measures to treat infested trees before the pest eradication procedures through the use of natural sources of resistance to pests,” he added.

“The resistance method will avoid the negative effects of using chemical pesticides that pose dangers to the public health and the environment. The mechanism also will reduce the insects’ genetic development of resistance as a result of excessive use of chemicals,” elaborated Mohammed.

Iran quakes: No impact on Dubai

By PMA Rasheed

The Gulf Today, 22 July 2010

The recent Iran earthquakes that occurred about 220 kilometres away, north-west of Dubai, had no significant impacts on the Emirate, says the civic body.

A report by Dubai Municipality’s (DM) local earthquake monitoring network has confirmed that the seismic activity of the set of tremors didn’t affect the Emirate’s geographical condition due to the distance of Dubai from southern Iran, where the earthquakes were witnessed.

Mohammed Mashroom, director of survey department in the DM, said that the municipality recorded the main tremor of 5.7 on the Richter scale at 11.38pm on July20, which had caused no casualties.

“But, many residents living in high-rise towers across the emirate felt a slight tremor of short duration,” he added.

“Some small tremors before the main quake near the same area were also detected and some of the aftershocks of this earthquake were also monitored,” pointed out Mashroom.

According to him, the activity was located on the seismic belt areas stretching north-west parallel to the Zagros mountain range, as a result of the collision of the Arabian plate with the Eurasian plate.

“The areas are within the seismic belts, but the earthquake did not affect the facilities in Dubai, as its designs are in accordance with the code of earthquakes,” he said.

“The first system to monitor the movements of the earth’s crust in the UAE was launched by Dubai Municipality. The monitoring has been varied supporting latest seismology technologies installed at four field stations that always had a wide range,” noted Mashroom.

He added that each seismology station of the municipality contains a device to record the seismic activity and another device for recording acceleration of the earth, as these stations are distributed in different parts of the emirate.

“It also supports different bodies with these data, including the National Centre for Seismology in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Police, Civil Defence and other bodies. The regional seismological activities are studied and followed up in real time,” he added.

Rare insect species spotted in Wadi Wurayah

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 15 July 2010

A biodiversity survey conducted by a team of scientists at Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWS) has recently spotted two new rare species of insects residing in the UAE’s eco-conservation area of Wadi Wurayah mountain.

The tiny creatures included a two-millimetre-long aquatic beetle and a velvet ant of five millimetres length, said an official at the EWS-WWS.

Dr Christophe Tourenq, Science and Research Manager at EWS-WWF, told The Gulf Today that the species are new to science and not having been found in any other part of the world. They have been named after the UAE’s first mountain protected area- Ochthebius Wurayah and Nanomutilla Wurayahensis.

“We discovered the insects in June and had to verify whether they exist in other parts of the world. Their presence has been attributed to the permanent availability of fresh water resources in Wadi Wurayah area,” he added.

“The beetle is in the Coleoptera scientific category, while the velvet ant is a wasp species of Hymenoptera category. So far, a total of 1,350 species have been added to the list of species known in the UAE. Of the 10 genera, 1 subgenus, 235 species and 6 subspecies of arthropods (Invertebrate animals having an external skeleton) new to the science that have been discovered residing in the country,” pointed out Dr Tourenq.

He said that a total of 30 new species have been found living in Wadi Wurayah, out of which 14 were originally found in the protected area.

“The UAE and the region generally are often considered a desert barren land, but the consistent discovery of various species in Wadi Wurayah shows the richness of biodiversity in the lap of desert,” he noted.

“We have further proof of the area’s significance considering the habitat’s natural diversity and the presence of permanent water. Hopefully, we will discover more rare species in Wadi Wurayah,” he remarked.

Dr Tourenq elaborated, “The findings of new species are part of an intensive inventory on the arthropod fauna such as insects, spiders, scorpions and terrestrial crustaceans of the UAE. The survey has been carried out since 2006, under the patronage of Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi.”

Including Dr Tourenq, scientists of EWS-WWS Maoz Hawaz, Lisa Perry and Nessrine Salawi, and biodiversity expert from the Fujaira Municipality Marral Shuriqi have involved in the survey.

“Results of the survey are ready to publish as a series of books, edited by the project’s research coordinator and renowned scientist Anthony Van Harten. Three volumes of the series titled “Arthropod Fauna of the UAE” have already been published in tandem with over 250 specialists of arthropods from across the globe,” said Dr Tourenq.

“Harten’s long and meticulous efforts have immensely contributed to the conservation of the UAE’s fauna,” he added.

According to Harten, the only way to protect the enormous amount of insect species from extinction is to preserve the areas that support a diversity of insect species.

“Many of such creatures are so tiny that they cannot be seen by the naked eye, and Wadi Wurayah certainly is such an area,” he said.

“Five of the new species spotted in Wadi Wurayah are mayflies (Ephemeroptera), which spend most of their life as aquatic larvae. The adult mayfly’s life span is very short and can vary from just 30 minutes to one day, depending on the species. Because their mouthparts are vestigial, and their digestive system is filled with air, adult mayflies don’t feed,” he elaborated.

“Instead,” Harten said, “the insects spend their short life focused on reproduction, dancing around each other, sometimes forming large groups above the water. The mayfly larvae are very sensitive to pollution and are used as indicators of good-water quality worldwide.”

“Insects are an important part of the Wadi’s eco-system, health and functioning. As predators, preys or detritivores, they are essential elements of the food web. For example, geckos (a lizard species) residing within Wadi Wurayah’s mountains are part of the diet of the endangered wild cats, and the geckos feed on beetles,” said Dr Tourenq.


(Photo Credit: Anthony Van Harten from his book The Anthropod Fauna of the UAE, Volume 3, Dar Al Umma Publications, Abu Dhabi.)

Banned pesticides seized, users hauled up

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 5 July 2010

Large quantities of prohibited pesticides have been confiscated from the Madam agricultural district of Sharjah by inspectors of the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) recently.

The seizure of the harmful insect-killers was effected by the MoEW officials in coordination with the Municipality of Dhaid in the Madam area, during a surprise inspection visit to establishments in the business of agro products and food items.

Further penal actions are in line against the errant establishments for dealing with illegal pesticides, according to sources at the environment ministry.

Dr Mariam Al Shinasi, Director General of the MOEW, said that the sweep against holders of the toxic materials has been carried out in a move to further enforce implementation of an integrated nation-wide system to control circulation and use of the pesticides in the country.

“The pesticide management system will update regulations and conditions and develop legislation for controlling such products with stringent criteria for their registration and circulation in the country,” she added.

Al Shinasi pointed out that the inspections carried out in these companies showed the use of different types of unauthorised pesticides imported to the country, seriously violating the regulations in this regard.

“The punitive actions against the establishments will be for non-compliance with the Federal Law No. 41/1992 on the use of the pesticides, and the ministerial decision No. 409/2009 that emphasised the pesticides control system apllicable across the GCC countries,” she elaborated.

“The laws aimed at preserving natural resources by effectively controlling various kinds of pollutions and banning materials that pose negative impact on the environment as well as safety of human health,” she noted.

According to Al Shinasi, the MoEW carries out regular inspections in agricultural establishments in various parts of the country in order to ensure implementations of environmental regulations.

Mohamed Moussa, Manager of MoEW for the Central Region, said the pesticides have been sold out seriously posing threats to the health of human and animal health, and the safety of the environment.

“Prohibition of the listed pesticides prevents establishments and persons from handling them, unless under the direct supervision and guidance of competent authorities,” he added.

“The restricted pesticides are not permitted to be transported unless the ministry’s specifications and technical requirements are met. Transportation of such pesticides should require sufficient documents of purchase sources, laboratory certification and official approval,” pointed out Moussa.

He urged the public to inform the environment ministry, in the events of their notice on illegal businesses of the restricted pesticides.

Errant quarries shut down in Ajman

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 2 July 2010

Two stone-crushing units operating in the Musfoot area in Ajman have been shut down by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) for not complying with environmental and public health safety regulations.

Sources at the MoEW said that one of the violating crusher units — in the absence of an effective dust pollution control mechanism — was found to be emitting excessive dust into the atmosphere.

“Meanwhile, the other crusher unit was functioning without a proper covering of its main crushing plant as well as screening station inside the quarry,” said the ministry in a statement.

According to it, immediate actions have been initiated against the quarry operators, and until proper maintenance and repairs are carried out for controlling dust emissions, notice has been issued to suspend their unit’s operations.

“The actions against industrial establishments have been implemented in coordination with Ajman Municipality, as per the environmental regulatory guidelines issued in a ministerial order in the beginning of this year. “Cabinet decision No.20/2008 also specifies the regulations on facilities operating in the quarries and stone-crushing industry,” said a spokesperson of the MoEW.

“The violations have been found during the MoEW’s regular inspection visits to the sites in Musfoot. The field inspectors carry out day and night visits to the quarry and crusher units operating in the Northern Emirates to strictly implement the regulatory guidelines,” he added.

According to him, local environmental authorities in Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman are cooperating with the MoEW in implementing the environmental lawns in regard to the operation of stone quarries.

Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water had said that the ministry has classified quarries into three categories — green, yellow and red.”

“This classification comes in accordance with their adherence with safety and preventive systems aimed at reducing dust pollution,” he added.

“The red category quarries do not have dust control systems to reduce dust pollution. The ministry will take stringent actions against such operators who do not abide by the rules,” he pointed out.

“The stone mining and crushing units were regularly monitored by the environment ministry to ensure maximum adherence of the sites to the regulations on environmental protection health and safety measures,” said Bin Fahad.

“The technical office collects data on the volume of daily production at such sites, and also checks the types of equipments used as well as the systems installed to control dust and noise from the sites,” he added.

The ministry has been taking punitive measures against many quarries upon negligence of public health safety conditions. Many of them had no equipments to limit dust emissions.

Environmentalists say that quarries and cement factories pose serious environmental impact on the mountainous regions, which are being dug up to produce stones and building materials for the construction sector.