The Department of Scientific Research and Environmental Education at the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) held recently an event for World Wetlands Day at the Wasit Wetland Centre. The event – ‘Wetlands and Climate Change’ – was organised in cooperation with EPAA’s Guidance Department.
The event, which targeted visitors to the Wasit Wetland Centre, school and university students and environmental departments, aimed to raise awareness about wetlands’ important role in diminishing the negative impacts of climate change. Other aims included improving awareness about the biodiversity in Wasit Wetland Reserve and highlighting the Centre’s workshops.
H.E. Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, said, “We are always organising celebrations, events and programs to educate visitors and the public about the importance and status of the environment. We also organise environmental initiatives and projects to boost the public’s environmental awareness, including this celebration of World Wetlands Day.”
The event included activities and programs, which were well-received by the participants. There was a tour of the world wetlands exhibition, which focused on the dangers of climate change and the ways in which wetlands can help to mitigate the effects of climate change. The exhibition included 3-D artwork, a room with special effects and lighting to simulate the experience of being in a wetland and a display of wetland plants with explanations of the plants’ importance.
Mrs Aisha Al-Midfa, in charge of Wasit Wetland Centre said that the celebration emphasised the importance and status of Wasit Wetland Centre, which was established in Wasit Nature Reserve in 2015 as an educational tourism and leisure destination.
Wasit Wetland Centre and Wasit Nature Reserve are part of the eco-tourism sector in Sharjah and the UAE. The first of its kind in the GCC wetlands, Wasit Wetland Centre strengthened Sharjah’s status as the 2015 Capital of Arab Tourism. The Centre is also one of Sharjah’s initiatives to improve environmental conditions and conserve wildlife for future generations.
Wasit Wetland Centre has classes and educational tools. It also has platforms and towers for birdwatching with information about the species of migratory and resident birds in the Reserve, including rare birds such as the northern bald ibis, the glossy ibis, the crab-plover, the grey heron, the Arabian golden sparrow, the marbled duck (the only endangered bird in the region), the royal purple guinea fowl, the pink-backed pelican and the greater flamingo.
With scientific facilities to protect the birds from extinction, Wasit Wetland Centre aims to protect the environment, preserve natural resources and contribute to the development of eco-tourism. The green lung of Sharjah, it has natural beauty and diverse organisms.
An important destination for education and bird-watching, Wasit Wetland Centre provides visitors and researchers with world-class facilities. Visitors can use special binoculars to identify rare birds, and the Centre is equipped with advanced technology that makes it possible for visitors to hear the birds in the Reserve. Using the Centre’s eco-friendly electric vehicles, visitors can enter the Reserve to learn about its birds, trees, lagoons, pools and salt flats.