Tuesday marks annual World Migratory Bird Day, when conservationists draw attention not only to the wonders of bird migration but also to the urgent need for protection both of the birds themselves and their habitats. Dubai Municipality, well-known for its custodianship of Khor Dubai, is taking the lead in marking the event. It's good to see its engagement stretching to the international level.
Although it's not recognised as widely as it should be, our bird life is both varied and fascinating and is important in global terms. More than 420 different species have been recorded, some residents and others migrants or short-term visitors. Every autumn and spring, millions of birds pass through the UAE on their way to and from breeding grounds farther north and their wintering grounds in Africa.
Among the migrants, as well as our resident species, there are several species which are threatened or endangered on an international scale. Without care and attention, including protection of the habitats in which they rest, feed and breed, their future is at risk.
That is, by now, pretty well-known. Much research has already been undertaken into our birds and the habitats they use. Many areas have been flagged up as “Important Bird Areas” (IBAs) under the international classification devised by BirdLife International and the World Conservation Union. Some, such as Al Wathba Lake, in Abu Dhabi, and Khor Dubai, have now received both recognition and formal protection.
It is, therefore, with some surprise that I note that one of the country's most important IBAs, the island of Sinaiya and the adjacent Khor Al Beida, has been selected for a Dh25 billion resort development by a partnership between real estate developer Sobha Group and the Government of Umm Al Quwain.
According to media reports, the project, called “Firdous Sobha”, will cover 4.9 million sq m, all of Sinaiya and adjacent parts of the Khor. It will include, we are told, “waterfront homes, ecological zones, canals and lagoons and a marina with world-class berthing facilities”, along with four or five hotels, a road network and a bridge linking the island to the mainland.
Khor Al Beida is the largest undisturbed area of mangrove wetlands in this country.
Around it, thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of migrant birds spend the winter. Sinaiya is also home to probably the largest breeding colony anywhere of the Socotra cormorant, a species whose range is confined to the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is classed by BirdLife as “vulnerable”, because of its limited range and threats to its habitat. Many of its colonies on the UAE's offshore islands and others elsewhere in the Gulf, perhaps a quarter of its Gulf population, have disappeared in the past few decades, because of the impact of development.
The BirdLife website notes that its classification as vulnerable is justified for, among other things, the following: “The very high rate of coastal development on the breeding islands is the main threat, since colonies are displaced and may not be able to successfully relocate elsewhere.”
The development of the whole of Sinaiya and the inevitable disturbance in Khor Al Beida would pose a direct threat to the continued existence of the Socotra cormorant breeding colony.
Its loss would be a devastating blow to the long-term survival of the species in the Gulf.
If the catchphrase “sustainable development” is to mean anything, then I would urge the Government of Umm Al Quwain to look again at the justification for the Firdous Sobha project.
Is the destruction of a pristine habitat, with its mangroves, waterways and thousands of migrant birds, really justifiable, let alone the endangering of a key bird species, whose near-endemic status in the UAE means that the responsibility for its protection lies largely on us? That would be a sad message to send out as we mark World Migratory Bird Day.
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture
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Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
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How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
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Shower or bath after being outside.
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Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
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