Three UAE spots set for this year’s Earth Hour

abu dhabi — The UAE is all set to join countries from around the world for this year’s ‘Earth Hour’, which will be observed on March 24 at 8.30pm.

The UAE chapter of Earth Hour is led by the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) in association with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which launched the drive in 2007. Under its new theme, ‘Connect 2 Earth’, Earth Hour 2018 will highlight the importance of biodiversity as it declines at an unprecedented rate globally. The event kick-starts a three-year campaign spearheaded by EWS-WWF to conserve biodiversity, by highlighting the connection between climate change, biodiversity, and people. It will also encourage people worldwide to take action through 2018-2020 and beyond, to stop the loss of biodiversity.

This year, Earth Hour will be observed by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the Environment and Protected Areas Authority — Sharjah, which have partnered with EWS-WWF to each host Earth Hour walkathon events under a unified theme — ‘Walk the Talk’ at Marasi Prome-nade, Business Bay in Dubai and at Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah respectively. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi has partnered with EWS-WWF to host an Earth Hour celebration on its premises.

Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, EWS-WWF director-general, said: “Biodiversity is key to our livelihood. It’s our duty now to promise to protect our shared home — the Earth — not just during Earth Hour, but on every day of the year.” The initiative has become known as the world’s largest, grassroots movement for the environment, bringing over 7,000 cities, as well as 180 countries and territories together annually. — Wam