The UAE yesterday marked its seventh annual Environment Day with a pledge to push ahead with a drive to combat pollution and ensure its air will remain clean.
The Federal Environment Agency (FEA), the country's top environment authority, said it had nearly completed studies on an ambitious project to set up air pollution monitoring stations throughout the Emirates as part of a national strategy to protect the environment.
This year's Environment Day was staged under the banner 'Clean Air For A Better Life' and officials assured citizens that the UAE's air has remained within acceptable pollution levels despite a sharp expansion in oil, industry and other sectors.
"The celebration today underscores our commitment to the issue of environmental protection, including preserving and keeping our air clean which is a priority in the country's environmental strategy," said Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Madfa, Minister of Health and Chairman of FEA.
"We all know that air round the world has been under the pressure of emissions and many other factors that have caused serious pollution and threatened human health. Officials and decision makers in most of the countries are obsessed to reduce pollution," Al Madfa said in a statement marking the occasion.
"In the UAE, our environment has also been affected by the sharp increase in population, which grew by more than six times to over 3.5 million in 2002 from less than 500,000 in 1975. Such an increase was accompanied with expansions in oil facilities, industries, energy and other sectors. But I can assure you that despite all this, pollution in UAE's air remains within acceptable levels."
Al Madfa announced that an ambitious project, one of the most advanced anti-pollution schemes in the region, will soon be launched. It involves the installation of a major control network that will link air monitoring stations across the UAE.
"This network is designed to create an electronic mechanism for connecting all monitoring stations in the country so that we better monitor pollution levels, gather precise data, prepare periodic reports and devise protection plans.
"The FEA is now giving final touches to this important project. The first phase involves setting up of two main stations in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah this year while more stations will be set up in other emirates at a later stage."
Al Madfa said the UAE has already enacted many legislations aimed at protecting its air, sea and land against contamination and pollution.
One of the most important laws will link the new project to environmental protection and authorises the FEA to reject any venture found to be violating environment rules.
In Abu Dhabi, officials said last month they launched the second phase of a major project to reduce air pollution with the help of Norwegian experts.
The Environment Research and Wildlife Development Agency (Erwda) said it has already completed the first of four stages of the most important anti-pollution 18-month project.
The first stage involved data collection and assessment in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Municipality, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Agency and the Police Department.
The second phase includes analysis of the emissions and dispersion of gases from industrial stacks and the emissions from vehicular traffic in the emirate by using internationally approved air dispersion models.
Erwda said the outcome of the previous stages will steer the implementation of the third and fourth stages, which comprise the construction and operation of a Central Network System, and a fully equipped and functional Air Quality Management System.
Al Madfa said: "We know that protecting the environment is mainly the responsibility of pubic institutions but the role of individuals and private establishments is also very important."
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