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Report highlights regional issues on environment

ABU DHABI — The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) yesterday released the fourth Global Environment Outlook Report here at the Higher Colleges of Technology – Abu Dhabi Women’s College.

The GEO-4 Report, published once in five years, analyses environmental change, causes, impacts and policy responses. It also provides useful information to decision-makers and raises awareness about the region’s environmental issues.

The report was unveiled by Mohammed Al Bowardi, Secretary-General of Abu Dhabi Executive Council (ADEC) and Managing Director of EAD, Minister of Environment and Water Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al Kindi, and Dr. Habib El-Habr, UNEP’s Director and West Asia Representative.

In his opening speech, Dr El-Habr said: “What GEO-4 does is to present to us the current situation, highlighting examples of where the challenges lie and also demonstrating that there are success stories.”

“More than one billion people in Asia are now exposed to outdoor air pollution above the World Health Organisation levels, linked to premature death of about 500,000 people every year,” he added.

Dr. Al Kindi told Khaleej Times that the UAE has done well so far and it will continue to fight for the protection and conservation of environment. “We will never back out. What we haven’t reached today, we will reach tomorrow,” the minister said.