Jebel Ali wetland declared site of 'international importance'

Jebel Ali wetland declared site of 'international importance'

  DUBAI - The Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary has recently been declared as a site of international importance. The declaration was made by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. This makes the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary the second protected area in Dubai and the eighth in the UAE to make it to the Ramsar List. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, hosted by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in collaboration with Dubai Municipality. Located between Jebel Ali and Ras Ghantoot, the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary spans over ​​21.85 square kilometers. The Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary provides a shelter to around 539 species of marine fauna and flora. The wetland features diverse habitats that comprise coral reef, mangrove, shallow lagoons, seagrass, oyster beds and sandy shorelines. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said theUAE's environmental efforts have led to the designation of 43 protected areas that are internationally-acclaimed to provide shelter to many of the species considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. "Thanks to Dubai’s commitment to preserving its wetlands, the emirate now holds two Ramsar Sites of International Importance: the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and the Jebel Ali Sanctuary," Al Zeyoudi said. Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary has unique ecological features and supports several endangered and threatened species. The Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary supports the survival of two other threatened species of marine reptiles, the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle. Both species use the area as a feeding ground. The sandy beaches of Jebel Ali are one of the main breeding sites for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle in the UAE and the only one in Dubai. 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