EEG hosted its 9th Community lecture for the year 2011 in the Emarat Atrium, Dubai with an evening event that was free and open to all members of the public as always.
The event was kick started by EEG Chairperson, Mrs. Habiba Al Marashi, who warmly welcomed attendees with a positive and warm speech. She provided a brief of the major programs that will be organized by the EEG in the last two month of 2011 such as the Inter College Environmental Public Speaking Competition (ICPSC) and the CleanUp UAE Campaign.
Mrs. Al Marashi said that as the Education Programmes have always been EEG's utmost priority, the ICPSC is a regional event, held annually under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, that is looked forward to every year. With universities and colleges competing from all over the GCC, this event truly shows the pulse of the region with young adults talking about and providing their perspectives on sustainability and environmental in this part of the world.
Another major event that will be organized in the month of December is the nation-wide CleanUp UAE Campaign, which will be on the 12th of December. Mrs. Al Marashi called upon all EEG supporters, friends and environment lovers in the country to participate and be a part of the journey of sustainability in the UAE. She explained that these Community Lectures are part of EEG's strategy to continuously build the capacity of the country and raise the level of awareness in all areas of environmental protection and preservation.
The speaker for the day - Mrs. Nafeesa Ahmed is the Director of Nutrition & Lifestyle Management with the Zulekha Healthcare Group. She has more than 12 years of experience in the field of nutrition and holds a Master's Degree in Food and Science & Nutrition from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Hyderabad. She is also an active member of The American Dietetic Association, Indian Dietetic Association, The Nutrition Society of India and All India Association for Advanced Research in Obesity.
The Lecture focused on the theme of the day, "Healthy Diet, Sustainable Environment". Mrs. Nafeesa attempted to bring out the intrinsic link between a healthy diet and the environment - a link most people miss.
Food and health are important factors that contribute to Sustainable Development. Going by the adage, 'Health is wealth', it is definitely a crucial factor that has an impact on our environment, directly or indirectly. If a person's diet is healthy, the intake of food will be less, which in turn reduces the demand and thus, results in a lower impact on land. In regions across the world, food wastage is a huge issue. Food is dumped into landfills and this results in the production of greenhouse gases such as methane.
It is also recommended to eat locally produced food as this means less carbon dioxide is emitted transporting the food, and if its organic, fewer chemicals are released into the environment. Eating high volumes of red meat also contributes significantly to many environmental problems such as climate change and the degradation of land and water.
Thus, in all, the Lecture was an eye-opener as it provided the audience with a clear understanding of the dangers of an 'unhealthy' lifestyle and diet.
Mrs. Al Marashi thanked the speaker and presented her with a crystal of EEG's appreciation. She also thanked Emarat Atrium for the venue and Abela for the catering. In the end, it was also announced that there would be a second Community Lecture on the 29th of November as EEG did not host one in the month of October.
-Ends-
The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) is a professional working group devoted to protecting the environment through means of education, action programs and community involvement. Established in 1991, EEG is actively encouraged and supported by concerned local and federal government agencies. It is the first environmental NGO in the world to be ISO 14001 certified and the only organization of its kind in the UAE with accredited status to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)'s Governing Council. It is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and also a member of the UN Global Compact (UNGC) as well as a focal point for the UN Global Compact for the GCC States. EEG is open to men and women of all nationalities, as well as to public and private organizations, academic establishments and international institutions.
For more information contact EEG: Tel: 04-3448622, Fax: 04-3448677, eeg@emirates.net.ae, www.eeg-uae.org© Press Release 2011
