ABU DHABI EMIRATE RESTRUCTURES ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003131 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, OES/ENV, EB/TPP/MTA STATE PASS USTR STATE PASS USGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KSCA ECON EPET ETRD TC SUBJECT: ABU DHABI EMIRATE RESTRUCTURES ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY REF: ABU DHABI 1408 ¶1. (U) President Khalifa bin Zayed signed a law on July 10, 2005 that restructures the Emirate of Abu Dhabi's environmental authority. Formerly known as the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA),the new Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi has greatly increased enforcement authority, with new powers for inspection, penalties, and approval for environmental and wildlife regulations, policies and decrees. Additionally, the authority specifically stipulates that the Environment Agency's mission will include working towards achieving sustainable development through environmental work and public promotion of environmental awareness. The Environment Agency also has a new board of directors, including prominent royal family members including Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as honorary chairman, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed as chairman, and Minister for Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed as deputy chairman. The board also includes influential environmental decision makers such as the deputy CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Minister of Health. ¶2. (U) In practice, the new law allows the Environment Agency to further focus on inspection and enforcement. Secretary General Majid Al Mansouri confirmed the Agency is planning on hiring more inspectors to better carry out its expanded mandate (already the largest division of the agency). Punishments for violations of the environmental laws include imprisonment, strict fines (a minimum of 1300 dollars), confiscation of hazardous equipment or material, and possible court-order restitution requiring the violator to remedy any damage to the environment. ¶3. (U) The Environmental Agency, which has gained an increasingly prominent role since the death of Sheikh Zayed continues to grow. It has established a new Water Resources division which is charge of the approximately 250 wells from the GTZ German groundwater assessment program which was terminated in April (reftel). The Environmental Agency is also continuing talks with the Environmental Division of ADNOC on further environmental partnership activities, including possibly hosting a Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition in 2006 or 2007. Additionally, the Environmental Agency is continuing its review of the forestries program (formerly under the Ministry for Presidential Affairs) in the eastern part of Abu Dhabi Emirate. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The new law giving Abu Dhabi's environmental agency more legal authority on environmental assessment, the prominent members of the new board of directors, and the increasingly broad role of the agency in overseeing environmental affairs in Abu Dhabi Emirate all indicate an Abu Dhabi's focus on environmental protection. The personal involvement of the new leadership (particularly Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed) in environmental stewardship should result in increased public attention to environmental protection, as well as more environmentally friendly policies on construction, ground-water usage, and sustainable development. SISON