Overview of WWF UAE Project Office
Left, Prof Dillon Ripley presented with the Getty Prize for his protection of wildlife and natural areas and his rescue of the last three Arabian oryx, by Ms Ann Gettyon 28.10.1977. Middle Major Ian Grimwood, UK, Washington, USA
© WWF-Canon / WWF Intl
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan
The WWF UAE Project Office was established in February 2001. Although it was the first WWF office to be set up in the Middle East, WWF’s association with the region can be traced back to the early 1960s where WWF helped establish the 'Arabian Oryx World Herd,' which succeeded in breeding the Oryx in captivity and returning them to reserves in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Thanks to 'Operation Oryx' the Arabian Oryx was saved from extinction.
Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)
EWS is a national (UAE) environmental NGO. EWS is established under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, to implement conservation actions for the protection of local biodiversity. In the UAE, EWS works in association with WWF. The EWS is governed by a Board of Directors that also serves as the WWF UAE Project Office Board. EWS-WWF has been active in the UAE since the beginning of 2001 and has initiated several conservation projects in the region.
Role of the WWF UAE Project Office
The WWF UAE Project Office in Abu Dhabi established the first presence of WWF in a Gulf state. Today WWF also have offices in Dubai and in Fujairah.
The mandate of EWS-WWF covers:
• Species
• Habitats
• Climate Change
• Ecological Footprint
• Natural Resources
Our work in the region is implemented through conservation, education, awareness and policy recommendation
EWS-WWF has a valuable role to play in:
• Protection of biodiversity in key sites, species of special concern and ecological processes critical for the region
• Raising awareness and advocating actions to reduce the Ecological Footprint of the UAE (this is among the highest in the world per capita)
• Promoting a sustainable lifestyle in the UAE
• contribution to the shaping of a still evolving, institutional framework in the UAE, so that local, regional and global environmental issues are addressed together
• highlight the responsibility of the UAE on the international conservation scene.
Protection is Vital
The UAE and the region support a rich biodiversity, particularly in marine and coastal ecosystems. At the same time, developmental pressures are enormous. Habitats are destroyed and species are disappearing. The WWF UAE is making sincere efforts to assist in creating protected areas so that biodiversity may be preserved before it is subjected to irretrievable stress and damage.
More details can be obtained by visiting: http://www.panda.org
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