Conservation wetland area set to rank very high globally for significant aviary population

02 October 2004, Dubai, UAE: Nakheel has announced that the currently existing lake in International City - Dubai's internationally themed residential, commercial and tourism project, shall be developed into a natural conservation wetland area set to gain global recognition.   Upon completion, and when officially certified, Al Warsan Lake will be the second man-made wetland in the Middle East region, densely populated with a variety of birds species.

Describing the formation of Al Warsan Lake, Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel said that the creation of the lake was essential in order to preserve any wildlife living there and by conserving it, it would continue to attract and grow in specie variety.  This conservation programme has immediately grown in stature to be one of Nakheel's most challenging ongoing projects.

"A few years ago, a large mining exercise was conducted at what is now the location of the lake, leaving behind a sizeable quarry in its wake, which extended over an area of 30 hectares with an average depth of 3-4 meters. Officials at Dubai Municipality proceeded to fill this quarry with water, and this water body was discovered when construction began at International City," he explained.

Upon discovering the water body, and its vast aviary population, Nakheel commissioned MWH whom in turned solicited the capacities of the Emirates Bird Records Committee to do a detailed Ornithological Survey of the lake. 

According to the report, a total of 185 bird species have been discovered at Al Warsan lake, which equals 45 per cent of the total number of species sighted in the UAE. Of these, seven species of birds breed at the lake including Purple Gallinule, which breeds no where else in Arabia and the Red Knobbed Coot which breeds no where else in Asia, Sulayem elaborated.

"We are currently in preparation of the necessary documents to be presented to the Ramsar Convention - the world's premier wetland conservation organisation - to include and promote International City's, Al Warsan lake as a global landmark.  As we await their official confirmation, we are already engaged in conserving and growing this rare natural gift to the best of our abilities: "We have a consortium of specialised companies led by Dar Al Taqniya, a private technology cooperative of scientists and engineers dedicated to providing quality engineering support and technical services in the fields of water and water management and environment conservation. Every detail has been thought through from protective surrounding fences to the use of noiseless boats on the lake."

"Plans are also in place to offer residents and visitors the rare opportunity of seeing and studying birds in their natural habitat, without disturbing them. We will offer virtual access and limit physical access in and around the conserved areas," Sulayem stated, adding that Nakheel not only invests greatly in ecosystem management and sustainability, but also ensures that conservation is incorporated into corporate culture where possible.

-Ends-

Notes to the editor
About International City: International City is the latest project by Dubai based property developers Nakheel. Located in the Al Warsan area of Dubai, the pre-designed complex will be set over an incredible 800 hectares of land. The development will be made up of six key areas, including The Central District, Dubai Gates, The Dragon Mart, The Residential District, Lakes District and The Forbidden City. 

About Ramsar: Geneva based Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) is a global organisation dedicated to wetland conservation organization. The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards, an annual international award, was established in 1996 to recognise and honour the contributions of individuals, organisations and governments around the world. Ramsar was established in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, at the first Convention on Wetlands, which saw the signing of an international treaty for the protection of wetlands throughout the world. There are currently close to 150 Governments as signatories to the Convention which lists more than 1000 wetland sites of International Importance - totalling several million hectares.

Issued on behalf of Nakheel and International City by Hill & Knowlton, Dubai. 

For further information please contact
Briony Peters or Ammar Dababou
telephone +9714 334 4930;
fax +9714 334 4923 or
e-mail briony.peters@hillandknowlton.com or ammar.dababou@hillandknowlton.com

© Press Release 2004