I had the interview with Dr. Mohammed Al Madfaei, who is Executive Director at Environment Agency ( EAD ) - Abu Dhabi. He joined EAD in 2002 as an officer within the Secretary Generals Office. Dr. Mohammed holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, USA and a PhD in Environmental Management from the University of Reading UK. "EAD is working with other agencies to develop a five year high level strategy plan and in this way agree on targets and coordinate activities that will lead Abu Dhabi along a sustainable development path. These high level plans cover clean air and limited noise pollution, efficient management and conservation of water resources, conserved habitats and biodiversity as well as enhanced waste management", says Dr. Al Madfaei.
Last year EAD has received another regional recognition for its environmental awareness programmes. Do You think that the one of the most important things in raising environmental awareness is trust?
Environmental awareness and trust are very much interconnected. The public trusts that EAD and other government agencies are doing a good job protecting their health and their natural heritage. We can only do that with the active commitment from many actors in society. Therefore, EAD takes its contribution to awareness raising seriously focusing on environment issues and how each member of the public can contribute to solutions. I am very pleased that EAD received this recognition for a job well done.
Two things which I’ve noticed is that in Your interviews You are quite honest about the state of the environment and that You often mention endangered species. Do You think that in the future we can really change something and for whom is this harder, richer countries which (maybe) must change they life style or the poorest countries? How many species are endangered right now in UAE?
Endangered species are of crucial importance to our natural heritage and they provide many services to society. Their protection is an issue that needs to be addressed both by developed and developing countries.The extinction of species could mean the loss of potential cures for cancer, antibiotics, disease and pest-resistance crops, and others, with significant human and economic impact. These species are elements of ecosystems and, when lost, these ecosystems will also be affected together with their services to human kind, such as clean air and water, fisheries, etc. Species become endangered when their habitat is lost and this can happen anywhere in the world, especially when there is fast development without the necessary measures to mitigate detrimental impacts. Habitat protection is therefore a key measure to preserve endangered species and avoid others to become endangered. An important starting point is to identify endangered species and know where they are found. Species can also become endangered due to direct exploitation. UAE can play an important role in controlling the trade of endangered species in its ports.
In Abu Dhabi, we currently have 5 endangered species. The wolf and Arabian oryx are among four species that are already locally extinct in the wild.
We are introduced with The Millennium Development Goals, the deadline is near - are we on a good way, especially now in the time of economic crisis ?
I believe UAE is on track to meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In the past decades, UAE has invested greatly in economic and social services and has therefore made great progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals such as combating poverty, hunger, sickness and illiteracy, empowering woman and environmental protection. UAE is now working on diversifying its income sources to avoid dependence on crude oil production and export, and to develop its national human resources.
You joined EAD in 2002. What is the most important thing You have learned about the environment?
Since I have joined EAD, Abu Dhabi has seen a dramatic growth in development. EAD used to focus mainly on conservation activities and now has an additional important role as a regulator. The most important lesson for me has been realizing that sustaining development through mitigating its impact on the environment and public health is a collective and shared responsibility. I have had the good fortune to work closely with colleagues at EAD and in other government agencies and have seen receptivity and commitment to this cause.
Can You tell us something about the impact of privatization on the sustainability of water in the UAE?
Currently the electricity and water production and supply are heavily subsidized; the industry operates as a monopoly and is paid on capacity provided. Therefore there is no financial incentive to make production and supply more efficient. As a result, the government and the general public are the stakeholders with most interest in reducing demand, reducing losses and having efficient production and supply.
I must invite our readers to visit www.ead.ae , because they can read so much information, from Sustainability Reports, Sustainable fish recipes to Annual reports… but also view really nice illustrations for the kids and youth. In Your opinion, who is more interested in the environmental protection, the kids or the adults?
Our parents and grandparents have had a very strong connection with the environment due to their upbringing. Our sons have already been raised in a wealthy society and therefore there is a risk of losing connection to their natural and cultural heritage. EAD works closely with schools to build the capacity of teachers to raise knowledge and awareness on environment issues. The interest and leadership we have found in students and kids is remarkable. We have the examples of students that each year clean the beaches of Abu Dhabi, a sixth grader at Abu Dhabi Indian School, who led the UAE Free Plastic Bag Campaign.
You said “I believe it is a human right to have access to relevant data” but sometimes that is little hard to achieve. What is the solution?
At EAD we work hard to identify, produce and disseminate relevant data to senior leadership and all relevant stakeholders. I believe that this is an important service since we cannot manage properly what we cannot measure. Armed with good information senior leadership can prioritize investments and put in place measures that mitigate the detrimental impact of growth.
As for the wider public, transparency and sharing data is a key principle for a sound environmental management. We, at EAD, are committed to this principles and we worked with others to promote sustainability reporting and transparency among the public, private and non for profit organizations through the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group.
What is the biggest challenge for EAD and for the UEA?
EAD and UAE, like many other societies in the World, face the challenge of selecting a development path that leads us to prosperity in a sustainable way.
If someone visits Abu Dhabi, what should he know about environmental protection? Since Abu Dhabi is one of the most beautiful cities, that means more tourists and that represents more pressure for natural heritage.
Tourism can be both an opportunity and a threat to Abu Dhabi’s natural heritage. The difference lies on how we chose to provide the tourism services. Eco-tourism is a large industry worldwide and UAE could benefit greatly from choosing that path. If on the other hand we chose high impact, high resource intensive tourism then we will be destroying our natural heritage.
Which places do You recommend us to visit in Abu Dhabi, maybe Falcon Hospital?
Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Hospital is an interesting site for tourists and residents alike. At the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital visitors can have unique interactions with Falcons, UAE’s national bird, and learn about falconry as part of Arab tradition and culture.
Cover image: Abu Dhabi skyline (Wikipedia).
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