Monday, Jun 23, 2008
Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: Residents from all walks of life came together to suggest practical tips for day-to-day actions to help save the environment.
Employees from both the public and private sector as well as teenagers and women's groups attended a workshop run by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) at the Hilton Abu Dhabi yesterday and participated in discussions focusing on how to help save the environment and also how to publicise the SoE. (State of Environment Report.)
EAD officials said the inputs from the discussion will be incorporated in the SoE 2008. The first SoE developed by the EAD in 2007 was a success, they said.
If we show the amount of electricity used by each individual every day and its environmental impact, everybody will be aware of the impact of one's own life on the earth, said a representative for teachers.
Showing the statistics regarding the number of trees saved due to recycling paper will definitely encourage people to recycle, the representative added.
Youngsters suggested calculating the ecological footprint on an individual level. (The ecological footprint deals with the availability of resources versus their consumption. It has become an important tool to measure sustainability. The UAE launched a national project called the Ecological Footprint Initiative in October 2007 to chart the ecological challenges facing the nation.)
Awareness spreads well through "word of mouth", said a representative for a group of women.
"Discussing environmental issues with family and friends does change the negative habits of people. The inputs from my friends prompted my daughter to stop carrying a plastic bottle to take water to school," she said.
She suggested rewards and penalties as well as awareness drives to encourage environmentally-friendly practices.
"Rewards like gifts or discounts for not using plastic bags and penalties like higher prices for them have worked well in anti-plastic campaigns."
What can be done
The first report of the State of Environment (SOE) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi identifies the main features of the Abu Dhabi environment.
It is based on six main areas of air, water, land, marine and coastal areas, biodiversity and waste. It includes a set of facts and information about the forces and changes that affect the state of environment in Abu Dhabi. It also provides recommendations of what can be done to improve the state of environment in the Emirate. Read the full report on www.soe.ae
Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.
