Chair: Dr. Amna Al Dahhak
DUBAI: Her Excellency Amna bint Abdullah Al Dhahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, chaired the second meeting of the UAE Environment and Local Government Council for 2024, which reviewed the latest developments in local government activities at national and GCC levels, as well as ways to improve the UAE’s position on the Environmental Performance Index.
The meeting was part of the Ministry’s efforts to continuously coordinate and follow up on the activities of local governments and relevant authorities across the country. During the meeting, topics related to the implementation of environmental action projects and initiatives to achieve sustainable economic and social development were discussed.
During the meeting, Al Dhahak praised the spirit of cooperation shown by ministries, municipalities and partners in achieving the Council’s objectives, in line with the UAE Government’s directives on environmental and social sustainability.
His Excellency said: “The UAE’s continued efforts led by the Council have cultivated a unique approach to environmental and local government initiatives, which is shared with all other countries, particularly the Gulf countries. Our expertise in the broad field of environment and local government has also contributed to the invigoration and implementation of many projects at the regional level, as evidenced by my recent call, during my participation in a meeting of the GCC Committee of Ministers for Municipal Affairs, to intensify efforts towards the implementation of the GCC Joint Municipal Action Plan.”
He added: “Going forward, we aim to leverage our expertise and strong collaborative spirit to realise all our objectives in various key areas and enhance the UAE’s standing and leadership in environmental performance indexes at regional and global levels. We are confident that through sustainable practices, advanced technology and innovative thinking, we can create a thriving and sustainable community in the UAE, but this requires increased cooperation, coordination and integration among all stakeholders.”
The meeting discussed various topics, including updates on the Unified Municipalities Guide 2024, especially in the area of reforestation activities, and future plans to ensure alignment with the UAE Green Business Toolkit. The meeting also discussed updates on projects in the UAE Integrated Waste Management Agenda 2023-2026.
The discussions included the main outcomes of the recent Gulf States Conference, the need for coordinated efforts at the Gulf countries level in preparing for the participation of the Ministry and relevant UAE authorities in the Gulf Municipalities and Works Conference to be held in Saudi Arabia in October 2024, and the decision to participate in the 6th edition of the Cooperation Council Municipalities and Works Awards to be held in 2025-2026 under the theme “Best Practices in Urban Sustainable Afforestation”.
The meeting considered the designation of nine Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) of global importance in the UAE, which were approved by the Key Biodiversity Areas Office and were a global achievement announced by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in early June.
The meeting discussed details of the project, a collaboration between the Ministry and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and involving other government agencies and private sector authorities. The meeting stressed the importance of further developing these sites and strengthening the UAE’s global position in promoting biodiversity, preventing extinction and protecting nature.
The conference analyzed the results of the UAE’s Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a globally competitive index published every two years by Yale and Columbia Universities that assesses the current state of environmental sustainability in 180 countries.
The UAE was ranked first in the region, the Arab world and the GCC for 2022 and 2024. In addition, it achieved the world’s top index in five environmental performance indicators. The conference highlighted the importance of taking concrete actions to achieve targets in key areas, including air quality, agriculture and water resources, marine life protection, fisheries regulation, wastewater treatment, wastewater reuse and net carbon flux.
These actions are essential to strengthen the UAE’s regional leadership in the EPI, improve its global rankings, and achieve climate and environmental sustainability goals across all sectors.
The second meeting was attended by H.E. Mohamed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary-General of MoCCAE, H.E. Major General Pilot Ahmed Mohamed bin Thani, Director General of Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority, H.E. Abdulrahman Mohamed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ajman City Planning Department, H.E. Engineer Ahmed Ibrahim Obaid Al Ali, Director General of Umm Al Quwain Municipality, H.E. Munter bin Shukr Al Zaabi, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah, H.E. Asirah Abdullah Al Mualla, Director-General of Fujairah Environment Authority, H.E. Engineer Alia Abdul Rahim Al Harmudi, Assistant Undersecretary-General for Sustainable Communities Sector at MoCCAE, and Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary-General for Public Health Sector at MoHaP.
The meeting was also attended by His Excellency Faisal Al Hammadi, Executive Director of EAD’s Environmental Quality Sector, Engineer Otaiba Al Qidi, Director General of the Municipality Department at MoCCAE, and Hajar Al Ketbi, Director General of the Government Communications Department at MoCCAE, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, Abu Dhabi Municipality and Transport Department and Sharjah Municipality.
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