Dubai to host 1,000 wetlands experts

More than 1,000 delegates will gather in Dubai this month for the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP13)

The global conference to be held from October 21-29 will hold discussions to preserve global wetlands, onethird of which have disappeared since 1970.

Dr Thani Bin Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “We are honoured to host COP13 this year in Dubai, and to help drive discussions on wetland preservation and management. Wetlands are not just essential habitats for various species but also offer ecotourism opportunities and scope to expedite our journey to sustainable development.”

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, which is hosting the conference, said the UAE has worked to protect seven of its critical national wetlands under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and is set to protect more sites.

Ahead of the conference, Ramsar released the Global Wetlands Outlook (GWO) 2018 study which documents the rapid decline of wetlands which “have registered losses of 35 per cent since 1970, at a pace three times faster than the loss of forests”.