ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY TO REMAIN A LONG-TERM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 000993

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE PASS USTR FOR DOUG BELL, JENNIFER PRESCOTT
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, OES/ENV, EB/TPP/MTA
AMMAN FOR ESTH HUB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EPET ETRD KSCA SENV TC
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY TO REMAIN A LONG-TERM
UAE PRIORITY

REF: A. A)STATE 25544

B. B)04 ABU DHABI 1114

C. C)04 DUBAI 1410

D. D)03 ABU DHABI 3593

E. E)04 ABU DHABI 3875


1. (SBU) Summary: Former UAE President Sheikh Zayed, who
died in November 2004, was widely respected in the UAE as an
avid environmentalist who worked to "green" the UAE by
promoting forestry and agriculture. Rapid expansion of
agriculture, however, has negatively impacted the UAE,s
ground water reserves. Led by some of Sheikh Zayed,s sons,
the UAE has begun a review of the scientific sustainability
of Zayed,s environmental projects. This continued
high-level attention ensures that preserving the environment
will remain a core domestic policy of the UAE, while ensuring
increased scientific studies of the sustainability of such
policies.


2. (SBU) Summary (continued): Despite the high-level
attention to environmental preservation, the UAE faces a
number of serious environmental challenges (Ref B). High
levels of per capita energy consumption, overfishing of
marine stocks, climate change, wildlife preservation, and
most importantly, limited ground water reserves, all remain
key environmental concerns for the UAE. The UAE needs to
remain engaged on effective environmental enforcement equally
applied throughout each emirate to ensure the long-term
economic and environmental sustainability of current
industrial and commercial policies. End Summary.

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UAE Government Structure
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3. (U) The UAE is a federation of seven emirates (Abu
Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, Fujairah, and
Ras Al-Khaimah) founded in December 1971. The federal
structure of the UAE, like that of the U.S., reserves certain
powers for the federal government, while ceding others to the
individual emirates. Under the constitution, the federal
government assumed the responsibility and authority for
certain areas that affect the federation as a whole, such as
foreign affairs, while the individual emirates retain
authority in areas not specifically delegated to the
federation. In all cases, however, federal laws and decrees
&trump8 emirate-level laws. Individual emirates maintain
ownership of natural resources within their borders. Abu
Dhabi controls 90% of the proven oil and gas reserves in the
UAE and is the wealthiest emirate.


4. (U) The Federal Environmental Agency (FEA),established
in 1993, is the federal agency charged with drafting UAE
environmental laws and regulations. It is also the point of
contact for international conventions such as CITES and the
UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The UAE passed and
implemented a comprehensive federal environmental law in 1999
(Federal Law 24/1999) and a companion federal marine
resources law (Federal Law 23/1999). (Note: Arabic text of
the law is available at www.erwda.gov.ae and Embassy has
English translations available in hard copy. End note.)
Federal Law 24/1999 stipulates that all projects implemented
in the UAE require environmental impact assessments to ensure
that the project does not adversely affect the environment.
The law also stipulates penalties, including fines and
imprisonment, for polluting the environment. Federal Law
11/2002 is designed to regulate trade in wildlife.


5. (U) Although FEA is responsible for environmental laws
and regulations, other federal ministries are also involved
in specific environmental projects. The Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries promulgates laws relating to
agriculture, pesticides, and marine resources. The Ministry
for Presidential Affairs oversees the forestry and
agriculture programs and funds groundwater research.

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Enforcement
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6. (U) In keeping with the federal nature of the UAE, the
individual emirates are responsible for enforcing
environmental laws, although the FEA has the authority to
monitor implementation. The municipal authorities are
responsible for enforcement in the emirates of Dubai, Ajman,
Umm Al-Qaiwain, and Fujairah. Ras Al-Khaimah delegates
environmental enforcement authority to the Environment
Protection and Industrial Development Commission (EPIDC),and
Sharjah has an Environment and Protected Areas Authority
(EPAA). The Emirate of Abu Dhabi established the
Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency
(ERWDA) in 1996, which is the largest and most proactive of
the environmental enforcement groups in the UAE. Abu Dhabi
Emirate,s Executive Council designated ERWDA as the
"Competent Authority" for environment and wildlife issues in
the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in November 2000, and it serves as
Abu Dhabi,s official agency responsible for implementing
environmental laws. ERWDA also manages the five-year
Environmental Strategy and Action Plans for the Emirate of
Abu Dhabi (available at Post in hard copy),which is Abu
Dhabi,s plan for managing the environment. ERWDA is also a
scientific and educational institution that serves, for
example, as the UAE,s scientific authority for the CITES
convention. Its website is available at www.erwda.gov.ae.


7. (SBU) The Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in particular, has a
historical and political commitment to environmental
protection. UAE founding father and longtime President
Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahyan, who died in November 2004, was an
avid environmentalist. He spearheaded Abu Dhabi,s intensive
efforts to &green8 the UAE by building forests, supporting
agriculture, and preserving wildlife. Abu Dhabi,s current
leadership continue to play a proactive role in environmental
stewardship led by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed
(MbZ),Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hamdan bin Zayed
(HbZ),and Minister for Presidential Affairs Mansour bin
Zayed (Note: HbZ currently serves as Deputy Chairman of
ERWDA. End note.). In December, Abu Dhabi also proposed a
special task force to protect the environment under the
auspices of the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police.


8. (SBU) Other Emirates have had varying commitments to the
environment. For example, federal law requires all the
emirates to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)
before beginning new construction projects. Third-party
companies complete the assessments, and the emirate-level
enforcement authorities certify the results. Effectiveness
of these assessments vary however; Dubai, for example, is
said to be "business friendly" in its EIA review. Dubai,s
major construction initiatives, especially the construction
of the various offshore projects, are widely viewed as, at
least in the near-term, altering the marine environment in
the Arabian Gulf.

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Nongovernmental Environmental Players
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9. (U) The Dubai-based NGO Emirates Environmental Group
(EEG) is the only environmental NGO in the UAE. Formed in
1991 with the aim of protecting the environment through
education, action programs, and community involvement,
Chairperson Habiba Al Marashi has built the organization into
one of the most proactive NGOs in the UAE. EEG coordinates
with individuals, private businesses, schools, and government
in the UAE through its large outreach network, including
corporate sponsorship program, clubs at schools and
universities, and events like litter clean-up days. The EEG's
newly formed Corporate Social Responsibility Network (ref C)
promotes a greater focus on sustainable development through
seminars and other awareness-raising events. See their
website at www.eeg-uae.org for more information.


10. (U) Academic institutions are involved in some
environmental research, and UAE University offers a Master,s
degree in Environmental Science. ERWDA is encouraging the
universities to take a more substantial role in environmental
research, and is exploring a Memorandum of Understanding with
UAE University. UAE University is also partnering with ERWDA
in the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, a
project announced at the Johannesburg conference and
conducted under the auspices of UNEP.


11. (U) Private sector involvement in the environment is
generally weak, although some businesses and corporations in
the UAE include an environmental department, most prominently
in the petroleum sector. Although Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company (ADNOC) is most involved in geology (petroleum and
ground water),some of the foreign oil companies here
complete environmental projects unrelated to their
businesses.



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Major Environmental Issues
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12. (SBU) The UAE is largely a desert country, and as such,
its ground water reserves are one of the most important
natural resources, and also one of its most vulnerable to
exploitation. Management of ground water reserves is not
allocated to any one ministry, most likely because of the
social and economic importance of water. The Ministry for
Presidential Affairs, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, the
National Drilling Company, FEA, and the local emirates all
involve themselves in the use and distribution of water. The
United States Geological Survey has been operating in the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi since 1991, maintaining wells and
collecting and analyzing data on fresh water ground reserves.



13. (SBU) Major stresses on water reserves include the
agriculture sector (Ref D),the forestries program, and
excessive water usage. Longtime agriculture incentives and
subsidies are under review, since there are concerns that
they are not economically sustainable and also harmful to
maintaining ground water reserves. The UAEG is slowly
phasing out the subsidies that have long maintained the
sector, to discourage uneconomic farming. ERWDA and Mubadala
(an Abu Dhabi government investment and development company)
are also reviewing the forestry program for its scientific
sustainability; most of the forests in Abu Dhabi, however,
use brackish ground water supplies instead of fresh water.
The third stress is the overconsumption of water by the
population. The average per capita consumption of water
(includes home use, agricultural, and industrial use) in the
UAE is approximately 133 gallons per day (the third-largest
in the world, after the US and Canada),and consumers in Abu
Dhabi are not charged for their water consumption. Nearly
all of the water produced in the UAE is desalinated seawater.
There is no strategic reserve of ground water or desalinated
water in the UAE, a potential security concern. The
desalinated water in the pipelines is only enough to supply
about 3 days of water.


14. (SBU) The UAE is a major oil exporting country, with 10%
of the world,s known petroleum reserves, most of which lie
in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has established
Health, Safety, and Environment policies and objectives
including the elimination of hydrocarbon flaring and other
policies designed to minimize the impact of the oil industry
on the environment. Based on a 1998 GCC resolution, the UAE
phased out leaded gasoline and replaced it with unleaded
gasoline as of January 1, 2003.


15. (SBU) Per capita energy consumption in the UAE is among
the highest in the world. The World Wildlife Federation,s
2004 Living Planet Report listed the UAE as the country with
the worst ecological impact per capita (Ref C),primarily for
the significant area of land required to absorb the CO2 waste
from fossil fuels. Residents use large amounts of
electricity and water to regulate temperature (through air
conditioning in the extreme heat of summer. The fast pace of
industrial development and heavily subsidized electricity and
water also contribute to the high per capita energy
consumption.


16. (U) Overfishing of marine stocks in the Arabian Gulf is
another key environmental priority. Climate change in the
Gulf also has an impact on the marine stocks. ERWDA is
currently conducting scientific reviews of fish stocks in the
UAE, and every year fewer fishing permits are being issued.
Like many other environmental issues in the UAE, however,
overfishing has a socio-economic impact since many of the
fishermen are among the poorest Emirati nationals.
Preserving the industry also has cultural implications for
the rapidly changing population.


17. (U) The UAE is aggressively involved in preserving
wildlife, particularly through natural reserves and breeding
programs for endangered species. Particularly important is
their houbara bustard breeding program. Houbara bustards, a
favored game bird in falconry (a traditional Bedouin sport
favored today by many wealthy Emiratis) have been threatened
by overhunting, and the UAE is actively involved in
encouraging healthy breeding programs throughout the Middle
East and Central Asia to maintain the bustard population and
preserve the sport of falconry. The UAE has also invested
significant resources in maintaining healthy populations of
falcons, gazelle, and oryx.


18. (U) Industrial pollution is not a major concern in the
Emirates, although aggressive construction possesses a hazard
to the natural resources. Although EIAs are required for new
construction, the size and speed of development in the UAE,
especially in Dubai, remains a concern. In a recent
conference, the EEG noted in particular the growth of the
tourism industry in the Emirate of Dubai, and the need to
remain aware of the environmental impact of such rapid growth.


19. (U) Four huge offshore projects in Dubai have started
causing some changes in the environment, at least in the
short term, and some environmentally-concerned residents have
begun raising concerns. The Palm Island Jumeirah, a
billion-dollar-plus artificial island in the shape of a palm
tree has reduced visibility, affected the underwater fauna,
and even changed the water flows in the vicinity. The
environmental impact studies for this project indicate that
these negative effects will be short-term, and that
eventually the visibility will increase and the fauna will
become more diversified than before. The change in water
flows has led to more beach erosion, but the developers are
taking steps to prevent this, including building protective
barriers. Two other Palm Islands, and 593,000 square feet of
artificial islands called The World, are also planned or
under construction.

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Comment
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20. (SBU) The UAE has a fairly robust record on
environmental protection, but there are significant areas for
improvement. Eliminating government subsidies that promote
unsustainable water and electricity consumption would remove
some of the most harmful practices in the UAE. Increasing
enforcement equally across the emirates would also offer
greater checks on the major construction projects in the key
areas of water resource management, marine fisheries, and
energy consumption. Finally, greater international
cooperation, particularly with other Gulf countries, could
encourage greater research and progress on protecting Arabian
Gulf fisheries, water resource development, and cross-border
wildlife preservation.


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