Around 2,000 school-children will take part in a clean-up drive at the Ras Al Khor Natural Sanctuary, but they must be careful not to disturb the flamingoes living in the area.
The Ras Al Khor sanctuary is a familiar destination for scores of migratory birds and it became an internationally acclaimed reserve because of its bio-diversity.
More than 1,000 Greater Flamingoes, which come from Iran, have made their home in the area.However, the area is also visited by birds from inland breeding colonies in Azerbaijan, Russia and northern Iran, which have made use of the area on the migratory routes.
The flamingo population in Dubai has been growing over the years but it must still be nurtured if it is to thrive and become a permanent fixture.
A government official said the construction of the Ras Al Khor Roundabout last year was one of the things that disturbed the flamingo population.
The need to conserve the bird species is due to a continuing threat to the birds' natural habitat. Any damage to the resident sites here would lead to them being even further endangered.
Environmentalists encouraged the flamingoes to remain here and breed, but the success was only gained by working hard to maintain their existing breeding grounds, providing new and ideal habitats, ensuring minimal disturbance, manipulating the habitat to supply a rich feed and also providing additional feed.
The mangroves introduced in 1990 and 1991 did not prove ideal for flamingoes because these areas reduced the feed available to them and other birds.
Dubai Municipality completed a boundary to provide protection and allow conservationists to study the flamingo population.
Once the barrier was in place, controlled access could be permitted for tourists.
In addition, the area is a significant migratory base for about 50 types of birds, with at least nine species arriving in numbers that are considered significant by conservationists, or at least about one per cent of the population of each species.
The most important among them is the presence of over 4,000 broad-billed sandpipers, which arrive in autumn - representing about 20 per cent of the world population. It is also a breeding area for the Kentish plover.
The tidal flats are a fragile and sensitive ecosystem supporting a rich population of invertebrates.
Most of these species turn the area into a vital roosting site for winter birds. Mammals in the sanctuary include cape hares and fox.
Natural sanctuaries in and around Dubai:Ras Al Khor
* Located at the end of Dubai Creek in the shallow buffer zone, it stands on a total area of 6.2 sq km.
* The area is surrounded by Sabkhah with salt tolerant shrubs. The land filled area shows dense vegetation over the perennials. 30,000 mangrove trees were planted in the sanctuary. The area is a haven for migratory birds, particularly flamingoes. Around 50 other species are present.Jebel Ali
* Located in the coastal lowland area between Jebel Ali Hotel and Ras Tantut, it covers an area of 80 sq km. The water offers coral species as well as dolphins, turtles, dugongs, reef sharks and various types of fish.
* The marine area of the sanctuary comprise shallow beds which gently slope offshore with a maximum depth of nine metres. The sea floor is sandy, underlain in wide areas by fragile rocks.
Off-coast areas
* There are some off-the-coast wildlife sanctuaries in areas like Al Khawaneej and Al Aweer, which have been designated for rehabilitation of the Oryx, gazelle, wild cat, fox, rabbit and various species of birds.
Gulf News09_bird.jpg (200x150)Arshad Ali/Gulf NewsElegant movementsMore than a thousand Greater Flamingoes from Iran have found a home away from home at the Ras Al Khor sanctuary. The water reserve, a familiar destination for scores of other migratory bird species as well, is internationally acclaimed because of the bio-diversity and the disparate eco-systems it harbours.
