Al Wathba Wetland gets global recognition

Abu Dhabi reserve on IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi on its Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, confirmed the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) yesterday.

The global designation follows efforts by the EAD in developing the reserve since its designation as a protected area in 1998, and is a realisation of the vision of the UAE’s founding father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan to provide a safe environment for migratory birds and breeding area for the Greater Flamingo.

Al Wathba Wetland Reserve is home to over 4,000 flamingos and 260 other birds, 320 invertebrates, 35 plant species, 16 reptiles and 10 mammals, the EAD said, noting the wetland is the only site in the Arabian Gulf where the Greater Flamingo breeds regularly; this year, 601 flamingo chicks hatched at the reserve — the highest number ever recorded at Al Wathba.