TAKING ACTION TODAY FOR A LIVING PLANET TOMORROW

Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) is a national environmental NGO established in February 2001 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan to implement conservation actions for the protection of local biodiversity

VOL 13 WINTER EDITION 2006&

VOL 14 SPRING EDITION 2007

THIS ISSUE:The lead feature of this double issue of Dar Al Khair is about the EWS-WWF and Al Fahim campaign to save the UAE’s ghaf tree. In succeeding sections, Booz Allen Hamilton is interviewed as a new member of the EWS-WWF Corporate Club; and there is plenty of project and office news as well.

A call for Al Ghaf to be the national tree of UAE Why do many countries around the world have “national trees?”To symbolize the natural world in their people’s lives.As the embodiment of their cultural heritage.To raise awareness about the nation’s biological wealth.To promote conservation.

There are any number of examples. China has the ginkgo that represents the country’s strength and is an example of a living fossil. America selected the enduring, mighty oak, which enhances the environment, has economic value, and constitutes part of national heritage. India’s banyan tree with its wide reaching roots is considered immortal, and figures prominently in some of the oldest stories of the nation; while the real yellowwood, widespread in South Africa, is said to have been present for over 100 million years!

Symbolising culture, heritage, environment, strength, beauty, usefulness…these are some reasons for a nation’s choice of an element of nature as its identity. So why doesn’t the UAE have such a symbol of nature - a national tree?

EWS-WWF and Al Fahim believe that the UAE’s ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) has attributes that merit its selection as national tree. Our ‘save the ghaf tree campaign’ shows this has public support.

With a few clicks of the mouse, H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, Board Member, Emirates Wildlife Society, plants a sapling on the ghaf website.

Another couple of clicks, and Mr. Saeed Jalil Al Fahim, Chairman, Al Fahim Group,

plants a second sapling.

A nation-wide campaign to save the ghaf tree is thus launched - a campaign aimed at gaining public support to elect the ghaf as UAE’s national tree.

Why campaign for the ghaf?

Primarily because the ghaf tree is in grave danger; and it is too precious a resource to lose, tantamount to losing a national heritage and an important component of the UAE’s natural history.

The indigenous ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) has been an integral part of the UAE’s distinctive desert environment and the civilization that developed here. Ghaf is historically and culturally as valuable as it is ecologically.

Groves of ghaf grow naturally in the desert sands and wide wadis in all seven emirates (mainly eastern parts of the country); but they are disappearing rapidly. The trees are being overgrazed by an increasing number of camels; heavily lopped for fodder; deprived of groundwater because of excessive extraction to meet farming needs; and cleared to give way to rapidly expanding urban infrastructure. Finally, there is the biggest threat of all - public ignorance

about the ghaf and its values.

Scientists have long believed that ghaf be declared national tree of the UAE, and surviving natural ghaf groves be protected. Without such measures, the specie’s continued survival in the wild is questionable.

We - the EWS-WWF and Al Fahim - pick up the cue. Save the ghaf tree campaign gets going.

The ghaf on www.savetheghaftree.orgOur aim is to raise public awareness about the multiple values of ghaf, elevate the tree’s profile and reach out to the public to vote for ghaf as the national tree. We believe this will help protect the species. For one, because people’s votes will strengthen the petition we intend submitting to the authorities. And secondly, if indeed ghaf is accepted as the national tree, it will surely be given special protection through legal, administrative, scientific and fiscal means.

www.savetheghaftree.org is set up to provide comprehensive

information about the ghaf. The site’s three interactive components – ghaf garden, ballot box and how you can help – gain popularity as news about the website spreads.

The ghaf garden allows individuals

to plant virtual saplings in their name and also refer friends to the garden. We commit to planting one real ghaf in the wild for every 10 saplings planted in the garden.The ballot box calls for votes online in favour of ghaf to be selected national tree.

The site’s ‘How you can help’ link takes viewers to a ghaf competition, inviting people to register online and actively, creatively, contribute to the ghaf campaign by sending in photographs, posters, sketches, paintings, stories, and letters – all related to the ghaf. (The number of entries received will have touched 122 by the close of the campaign. These will have been judged and winners awarded recognition both on the website and at a special campaign ceremony)

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Majid Al Mansouri and Saeed Jalil Al Fahim launch the ghaf campaign

The ghaf is a tough, sturdy tree; an evergreen with a generally circular crown and long drooping branches.A greater survivor in desert conditions may be hard to find. Temperatures of as high as 500 C; acutely low mean annual rainfall of less than 90 mm; and extremes in salinity (18,000 ppm) as well as alkalinity (pH up to 9.5) – the ghaf tolerates them all. What is more, it can live with trunk partly buried in sand or, conversely, deprived of sand up to 2 metres below its base.How does the ghaf manage? Its tap roots can draw water from as deep as 60 metres in the soil. If there is ghaf; you can be sure there is water underground!

And that’s not all. It’s laterally spreading root-suckers send out shoots that grow into trees. Just one ghaf may, over time, develop into woodland. Soil fertility improves with ghaf because bacteria in its roots fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. Dewfall is observed to be greater in the vicinity of ghaf, this vital supply of fresh water benefiting nearby plant communities.Humans and animals have benefited from the ghaf in times past (food,

medicine, fuel, shelter, shade) and some of these benefits are valid even today. As far as the unique, adapted desert species of wildlife are concerned, ghaf is a life support - their island refuge in an ocean of sand!

December 6, 2006, Abu Dhabi: The campaign is inaugurated

The remarkable ghaf

Ghaf website homepage

A purple sun bird (male) shelters in a ghaf tree

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There are advertisements! Free space generously provided by media agency OMD enables the advertisement to appear in eight popular Arabic and English magazines such as Ahlan and Time Out.

Posters are distributed to most schools in Abu Dhabi Emirate and also prominently displayed in Choithram supermarkets in all emirates.

December 7, 2006 – February 28, 2007: The campaign news spreads Post February, 2007: The community responds

The public at large is our target audience. We do, however, have focus groups – decision makers, UAE nationals, desert wanderers, Al Fahim customers, EWS-WWF supporters, AMEInfo subscribers and students. Our message to all is: Log on to www.savetheghaftree.org; get to know the amazing ghaf; plant a sapling in the ghaf garden; cast your vote for the ghaf tree to be made national tree of the UAE; and enter the ghaf competition.

A major promotional avenue for our campaign is courtesy of AMEInfo, the popular business portal that has a readership of over 800,000 each month. A banner flashes on the website and a ghaf campaign icon is placed on selected newsletters mailed to AMEInfo’s over 50,000 subscribers

We organise presentations too, including at a ghaf workshop especially for the Al Fahim Group. There are many others, targeting students.

The website ghaf garden is a hit! 1000 saplings are planted in some 10 weeks. EWS-WWF and Al Fahim will, in the months ahead, plant 100 ghaf plants in the desert.

Voting in the ballot box of the website continues to this day, touching 2644 votes (June 20, 2007). Voting noticeably perks up after each batch of email shots!

The UAE community’s response has been rousing. Ghaf has entered the news, is being discussed on blogs and has suddenly become the favourite tree to plant in parks, along golf courses and even in schools. Authorities (Abu Dhabi Municipality, for instance),

starting to sense that all is not well with the ghaf, are reminding and prompting their organisations to protect the ghaf tree.

When media start to follow up a story and request contributions; when researchers write in to offer expert advice; and individuals voluntarily submit pictures illustrating ghaf values – one such was of tall ghaf trees in a car park with caption “I

can give you the shadow (sic). Please do not remove me” – then we know we have grabbed public attention. And when – like tiny ghafs sprouting from the mother tree’s spreading roots - there are campaign spin-offs, you can expect mass awareness. There are such spin-offs.

The 4th Abu Dhabi Classical Music Festival (April 17 – 26, 2007), held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, is dedicated to making the ghaf national tree of the UAE. This is initiated by Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, Tourism Authority and Authority for

Culture and Heritage. Invitation cards, entry passes and advertisements each carry an appeal to vote, besides providing information about this amazing tree. And, during the event, a real ballot box is placed for members of the audience to cast real votes!

Another move initiated by The Motor Town, a community of motor enthusiasts, calls on member clubs to

drive through the UAE’s desert in all emirates to locate, map

and photograph ghaf trees for our campaign.

Some 850 are made

aware of the ghaf through this

initiative. We even acquire a map of the UAE locating ghaf trees and

groves. And more…Abu Dhabi Men’s College students develop a film about the ghaf! What else could we have asked for?

What next?Public response to the campaign has been stimulating. Right now we are lobbying for the ghaf to be selected UAE’s national tree. Next, we will:l Acknowledge ghaf campaign

supporters at a ghaf festival.l Plant 100 ghaf plants in the desert.l Celebrate, if and when ghaf is

officially named the national tree.

Ghaf in parksA news report in March ‘07 indicates that 10 new parks are to be developed in Dubai and ghaf will be the main tree planted. Why ghaf? Because, explains a horticulture official…l it grows best in desert conditions,l it will provide parks with a touch of the Arab world,l it will help visitors learn about the unique characteristics of native

vegetation and l it will help people understand the UAE’s heritageWe agree!

The ghaf garden

Ghaf trees left standing in a newly constructed car park in Al Ain Photo by - Khalifa Al - Kaabi, Al Ain

The ghaf grows best in sandy conditions

Direct mail (and email shots) are sent out in 1000s, both mails

attractively designed to grab the recipient’s interest.

AME Info also sends out campaign emails to all their

Flyers about the campaign are placed in all Al Fahim outlets for customers for peruse and takeaway

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“Changing times and attitudes have placed the ghaf under duress. It has been over-grazed, over-cut, cleared for developmental works, deprived of what little water it consumes and, most significantly, forgotten by us – its beneficiaries and guardians. How can we protect something we are not conscious about?’

‘The ghaf is a strong, enduring tree with many values and history of traditional use. It is an intrinsic part of UAE culture and it is hardly surprising that the tree finds a place in folklore. The ghaf as our national tree will be a symbol of the desert that we love; a symbol of sustainability and a unifying emblem for all. This will also help conserve the species for posterity.” - Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak

“The ghaf tree is particularly special because every part of this unique plant has a purpose – and for this reason it is highly treasured.The ghaf is indeed a remarkable tree – and perhaps no one better appreciated its importance to our culture and heritage than the late president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who actively sought ways to preserve its habitat, despite the country’s rapid growth and development. His commitment to the tree’s preservation has sustained a valuable resource; but

perhaps, more importantly, it has forged a greater appreciation of one of our country’s greatest gifts. I hope that with the efforts of the EWS-WWF and Al Fahim, we can lure the public into appreciating this humble tree, which gives so much of itself and asks almost nothing in return.” - Hanadi Al Fahim

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Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Director, EWS-WWF

Soundbites

Hanadi Al Fahim, Marketing Manager, Al Fahim

We applaud:

l OgilvyOne, for the campaign planning and development l AME Info, for displaying ghaf campaign banners on their

website, icons on subscriber newsletters and sending out emails to their subscribers

l ONMEDIA (OMD), An Omnicom Company, for free advertisement space in eight magazines

l Choithram, for displaying ghaf posters in their supermarkets all over the UAE

l EAD, particularly the Education and Awareness Department, for help in identifying schools for ghaf poster distribution and providing useful suggestions

l TADPOLES (Teachers of Abu Dhabi for Protecting Our Local Environment) for encouraging student participation

l Al Ain Zoo, for organising and hosting the pledge to save the ghaf tree programme by the students of Al Ain Women’s College

l Media, for their excellent coverage of the ghaf campaignl Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, for dedicating the

4th Abu Dhabi Classical Music Festival to making the ghaf national tree of the UAE

l The Motor Town, for raising community awareness about the ghaf campaign and for developing a map showing distribution of ghaf groves in the UAE desert

l Abu Dhabi Mens College for a wonderful film that they made about the ghaf

l The public and all students, for voting and planting saplings on the ghaf website, and for taking part in the ghaf competition

Thanks to some individuals in particular:

l Eng. Mohammed Talbi, Dept of Horticulture and Public Parks, Dubai Municipality, for showing us the ghaf trees in Mushrif Park, Dubai and illustrating for us the tree’s remarkable roots

l Gayatri Raghawa, EAD, for actively promoting the campaign, particularly among students, and sharing ideas about the ghaf competition

l Jalal Luqman, artist, for sketching the ghaf tree for the campaign poster

l Dr. Reza Khan and for providing photographs for the ghaf website

l Mark Craig and Muna Al Dhaheri, Al Ain Zoo, for hosting the event at which Al Ain Women’s College pledged to save the ghaf tree

There will be more supporters. The campaign isn’t over yet!

A vote of thanks to our campaign supportersSave the ghaf tree campaign worked as well as it did thanks to a number of organisations and individuals.

Off the press

Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research and President & Patron, Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), with Zaki A. Nusselbeh, Board Member of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage, with Hoda Kanoo, Admaf founder

Media gives the campaign their full support. Extensive coverage provided by both the Arabic and English print media is encouraging as is the interest shown by local radio and television stations.

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WILDLIFE

CITES enforcement capacity building: training & manuals

As continuation of the CITES project (launched in 2002) CITES Identification Manuals translated into Arabic are nearing completion and the concluding Train-the-Trainer workshop was held on April 23-24, 2007 in Fujairah. While the CITES project is sponsored by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, support for the training workshop was generously provided by Fujairah Municipality. The workshop was organised by EWS-WWF and facilitated by the CITES Secretariat.

Train-the-Trainer workshop trained key government officials from the Ministry of Environment & Water, municipalities, customs and environment agencies in how to use the newly translated CITES Identification Manuals as well as how to teach others to use these as

identification tools.

Without proper permits, traded CITES species are treated as illegal. It is, therefore, important that customs and government officials understand how to identify the species traded so that they can help halt their illegal trade.

The newly trained CITES Trainers will, as a next step, further train staff in their respective agencies and departments as well as front line customs officials.

Turtle track

EWS-WWF has teamed up with the Marine Research Foundation, Sabah, Malaysia, to create an awareness poster for fishermen and the fishing communities throughout the Gulf region to spread awareness of marine turtle research.

Turtle researchers and scientists throughout the world use the method of ‘tagging,’ which consists of a metal

EWS-WWF in the UAEPROJECT NEWS

ring fitted on the turtle’s flipper and engraved with a tag number. When found, this tag number can tell the researcher a lot about the migration patterns of that specific turtle.

Over 4000 bilingual turtle posters have been printed and distributed in English and Arabic. More are being developed to include Farsi, Urdu and Tigrinya. The posters have been created in the form of a calendar to make them both practical and useful.

The posters promote awareness of marine turtle conservation needs and communicate what action needs to be taken when a tagged turtle is found, for instance, where information about the number engraved on the tag should be sent and what the tag is used for. There is also an offer of a free t-shirt prize for the person who provides the tag information.

MARINE

Coral reef investigations in Abu Dhabi and eastern Qatar

The coral reefs project, sponsored by

Dolphin Energy, has entered its third and final year of implementation. A Biannual Report (July – December 2006) released recently, conveys further confirmation of the presence of extensive, biologically important coral reef resources along offshore banks and islands of Abu Dhabi Emirate (UAE) and eastern Qatar.

A fine scale map of coral reef habitat at specific coastal locations has been completed and preliminary conservation management plan prepared. Field work

and on site - training (capacity building) has continued for implementation agencies Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves, Qatar.

CAMPAIGN

Save the ghaf tree campaign

The EWS-WWF and Al Fahim campaign to name the ghaf national tree of the UAE reached its seventh month in June 2007. Whereas the ghaf garden on www.savetheghaftree.org closed after the 1000th person planted a virtual sapling, the on-line voting for ghaf as national tree remains open. Over 100 entries were received towards a ghaf competition that invited creative contributions themed on the ghaf. Campaign participants and supporters will, in the coming months, be acknowledged at a festival to celebrate the ghaf, while lobbying with decision makers for ghaf as national tree will continue alongside. Post summer plantation of 100 ghaf plants in the desert will be taken up.

FRESHWATER

Establishment of a mountain protected area in Wadi Wurayah

EWS-WWF and Fujairah Municipality are working towards formalising the declaration of Wadi Wurayah as UAE’s first mountain protected area. The project is sponsored by

HSBC.

A baseline survey of the Wadi was completed last year and a complete report published. More recently (spring 2007), local women of Bidiyah Village (near Wadi Wurayah) were interviewed by students of Fujairah Women’s College who subsequently presented their findings to the project team. Meanwhile, the EWS-WWF baseline survey team was joined by local ex-hunters from Masafi, who collected valuable information on permanent water resources, evidence of the presence of caracal lynx, and old settlements.

Alongside, the EWS-WWF project team continued its search for evidence of endangered wildlife in other wadis of the Wurayah catchment. The wadi fish ecology study and collection of insect samples (7 species new to science have been

Biannual Report July - December 2006

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discovered so far) are also under way. Also discovered are 85 new stands of Epipactis veratrifolia, the unique orchid species. Active research is underway to solve the mystery of the pollinator of this orchid species.

Dar Al Khair: Introduce us to Booz Allen Hamilton’s mission and work

Hintze and Abouchakra: Booz Allen’s mission is to deliver results that endure. We help governments, commercial clients and non-profit organizations solve their most difficult problems by providing services in strategy, organizational change, operations and information technology.

The markets we serve cover public sector, financial services, energy and utilities, media, telecom, consumer products, healthcare, transportation, and non-profit organisations, like the EWS-WWF!

Tell us about some of your work in the UAE.

Booz Allen has supported a number of private and public entities in the UAE for some years now. For instance, in Dubai we have supported Dubai Holding on a number of their key strategic initiatives.In early 2005, we began work with the Abu Dhabi Government to develop

the strategy for a full-scale local government restructuring programme in an effort to improve governance, efficiency and enhance service delivery. Today, we are supporting the design and implementation of that programme.

Why are you working pro bono for EWS-WWF?

Booz Allen has a rich heritage of leadership, philanthropy, volunteerism and community service. We believe it is important to give back to and improve the communities we live and work in and, therefore, corporate citizenship

is a business essential for us. Booz Allen’s global pro bono engagements cover environment, arts and culture, disaster preparedness and emergency response, disabilities and non-profit management.

Helping a conservation NGO such as the EWS-WWF is very much in line with the firm’s overall mission, as well as the Abu Dhabi

office’s commitment to give back to the community going forward.

Would you exemplify your corporate social responsibility initiatives?

There are multiple examples of international and regional initiatives. Booz Allen and its people support over 650 non-profit organizations globally through corporate initiatives and pro bono work, community-based initiatives, education partnership and employee volunteerism. We are engaged in these activities from a corporate level, but also from an individual level where Booz Allen employees go

CORPORATE NEWS

Dolphin Energy receives award

The 2006 Excellence in Environmental Projects and Products Award was given to the three year Arabian Gulf coral reef study which covers Abu Dhabi and eastern Qatar . This $500,000 project is sponsored by Dolphin Energy and is managed by the EWS-WWF. Dolphin Energy received the award at the Offshore Arabia conference organised by the Regional Clean Sea Organisation (RECSO) on December 17 – 19, 2006 in Dubai . At the conference, Dolphin Energy presented a paper “Developing a Regional Coral Conservation Strategy – the Dolphin Energy Perspective.”

outside the call of duty to support their communities.

To exemplify an international environmental initiative, Booz Allen is helping develop a detailed strategic plan and operational blueprint of a unified research agenda for the preservation of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which is a powerful symbol of the natural world. It involves working on two continents in

collaboration with Australian business, government leaders and NGOs to consolidate databases and coordinate fundraising, while also creating strategic and operational efficiencies to enable research sharing between scientists.

In the Middle East, we developed the strategic plan, developed a donor survey and ran fund-raising events for the SOS Children’s Village in Lebanon.

Also in Lebanon, Booz Allen partnered with Makassed (Philanthropic Islamic Association of Beirut) to develop a turnaround plan for their hospital, schools and social services.

Our work with EWS-WWF is the first pro bono project we undertake with an NGO in the UAE, and we hope that our relationship will continue long past our current engagement.

EWS-WWF Corporate Club Members in the UAEAME Info, Booz Allen Hamilton, Canon Middle East, T. Choithram & Sons, DHL, Dolphin Energy Ltd,

Khaleej Times, Landmark Group, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Sony Gulf FZE

Rabih Abouchakra

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CORPORATE INTERVIEWBooz Allen Hamilton is a leading global strategy and technology consulting firm that, in its 91st year, has a presence on five continents and operates out of 53 offices. The firm’s first office in the Middle East was established in 1993 in Abu Dhabi, followed by offices in Beirut, Dubai, Riyadh and Cairo.

Booz Allen Hamilton (Booz Allen in brief) is providing its expertise, pro bono, to the EWS-WWF, helping the conservation NGO review its strategic mandate and develop an organisational framework based on its strategy, future potential growth and legal requirements.

Dar Al Khair interviews Roy Hintze, an Associate at Booz Allen, and Rabih Abouchakra, Principal at Booz Allen at their office in Abu Dhabi

l EWS-WWF was acknowledged for its environmental conservation work by the UAE Minister of Environment & Water H.E. Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al Kindi at a ceremonyon on March 4th at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, EWS-WWF Director, received the award.

l We acknowledge DHL, our Corporate Club Member, for their kind donation for conservation.

l A visit to the UAE by Eduardo Carlos Goncalves, International Communications Coordinator of the One Planet Living Programme of WWF International was organized by the EWS-WWF. During his visit, Eduardo addressed select groups of property developers in Abu Dhabi (February 14, 2007) and Dubai (February 15, 2007) on One Planet Living (and the OPL brand) a joint initiative of WWF and BioRegional BioRegional (a UK – based organization dedicated to developing practical solutions for sustainable living).

l Booz Allen Hamilton facilitated intensive, visioning workshops (February 11 and March 7, 2007, Abu Dhabi) for EWS-WWF to help formulate the

conservation NGO’s mandate and strategic planning elements.

l A meeting of the EWS Board Members took place on March 19, 2007 at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

l The 2006 - 07 Walk for Wildlife by students in Al Ain took place in December to raise funds for Arabian leopard conservation. Students, accompanied by faculty members, walked from Al Ain Women’s College to the Al Ain Zoo and subsequently made a generous contribution to the EWS-WWF. We express our deep appreciation of this effort and assure students that the funds generated are helping conserve the UAE’s habitats and species, including the Arabian leopard.

l With support from the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, EWS-WWF organised a presentation by Dr Mathis Wackernagel (Executive Director, Global Footprint Network) and Dr. Chris Hails (Director, Network Relations, WWF International) on the ecological footprint and WWF’s Living Planet Report. The presentation, held on March 20, 2007 at the Emirates Palace

Hotel, Abu Dhabi, was attended by high ranking government officials, EWS board members and corporate representatives.

l Volunteers from HSBC spent a weekend (April 20 – 21, 2007) camping in Wadi Wurayah, Fujairah to familiarize themslves and help out with the EWS-WWF and Fujairah Municipality project – Establishment of a Mountain Protected Area in Wadi Wurayah.

l Bedir Ayderus Hussein Farag, a student of Environmental Sciences at the American University of Sharjah, did his internship with EWS-WWF (Dubai office) from December 2006 until February 2007; while at the EWS-WWF head office in Abu Dhabi, Hind Al Jawdar has been working as a volunteer since March 2007.

l Our colleague, Amal Ayyash, was blessed with a baby girl on April 28th Hearty congratulations Amal!

l Nahed Mahmoud Badawi joined our Abu Dhabi office when Amal went on maternity leave. Welcome Nahed!

l Manar Kassem, Marketing and Fundraising Officer, has left EWS-WWF. Farewell and good luck to her from all of us.

l EWS-WWF extends a warm welcome to Ida Tilllisch, who joined our team as Business Development & Marketing Director on June 1, 2007

OFFICE NEWS

Roy Hintze

Presentation on the ecological footprint and Living Planet Report, March 20, 2007 Abu Dhabi

EWS board members

Dolphin Energy awarded

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EWS-WWF STAFF

Ahmed, Shahbaz Business Development & Marketing Asst. Manager tel +971 4 3537761 sahmed@wwfuae.aeAl Mubarak, Razan Khalifa Director tel +971 2 6347117 ralmubarak@ead.aeAyyash, Amal Executive Secretary tel +971 2 6934609 aayyash@ead.aeDe Roy, Rashmi Education & Awareness Manager tel +971 4 3537761 rderoy@wwfuae.aeLaunay, Dr. Frederic Conservation Director tel +971 2 6347117 flaunay@ead.ae Perry, Lisa S. Programme Manager tel +971 4 3537761 lperry@wwfuae.aeTillisch, Ida Business Development & Marketing Director tel +971 4 3537761 itillisch@wwfuae.aeTourenq, Dr. Christophe, Science & Research Manager tel +971 4 3537761 ctourenq@wwfuae.ae

Cover picture: Ghaf tree. Courtesy of Nick Crawley

It is said – if camel is the ship of the desert, the ghaf is it’s sail Photo courtesy of Nick Crawley

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2 February World Wetlands Day4 February UAE Environment Day22 March World Water Day22 – 29 March Gulf Water Week22 April Earth Day22 May International Day for Biological Diversity5 June World Environment Day8 June World Ocean Day17 June World Day to Combat Desertification

and Drought

11 July World Population Day9 August International Day of the World’s

Indigenous People16 September International Day for the Preservation of

the Ozone Layer3rd week of September Clean up the World4 October World Animal Day13 October International Day for Natural Disasters

Reduction14 October Arab Environment Day

Address: EWS-WWF Head Office, P.O. Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAETel +971 2 6347117, Fax +971 2 6341220, email ewswwf@wwfuae.aeDubai Office, P.O. Box 45977, Dubai, UAETel +971 4 3537761, Fax +971 4 3537752, email ewswwf@wwfuae.ae

www.panda.org/uaehttp://www.ameinfo.com/news/Arabian_Environment/www.savetheghaftree.org

Writer & Editor Dar Al Khair: Rashmi De RoyDesigner: Nick Crawley