Khalifa: Conserve desert resources

The National Environment Day is a fitting annual event during which both public and private energies are pooled together throughout the year to highlight the desert as a national environmental issue of top priority, the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said on Sunday. In an address to the nation on the 16th National Environment Day, the President said the UAE is marking the day for the third year running under the theme ‘Desert Pulsing with Life’ to make the desert the focus of attention and activities. “The desert occupies the largest part of our country and is the factor with the deepest and far-reaching impact on our cultural history and social activity and tremendous influence in our economy. The desert is the source of water and natural wealth and an incubator of pasture and medical plants. It is the source of our home, life, identity and our future. It is land thriving with life” Shaikh Khalifa added. For these reasons, the President stressed, protection and conservation of desert resources to ensure their sustainable development is a key component of the national responsibility which requires both federal and local bodies to come forward with plans to develop the desert environment, maintain its ecological balance, and increase investment in its resources so as to stimulate the national economy, protect the environment and achieve welfare and health being for both nationals and expatriates. Praising efforts being made by the Ministry of Environment and Water and other government and non-government organisations to engage in the national celebrations, the President called on all segments of the community to contribute effectively in efforts aimed at protecting “our desert environment”, developing and conserving its diversity and serenity so to that it may remain pulsing with life forever. From KhaleejTimes