The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, EAD, has received two Champion Plus awards for its long-term commitment to the Conservation of Migratory Species, CMS.

The awards were presented at the Twelfth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, CMS COP12, held in Manila, the Philippines from 23rd - 28th October, 2017.

EAD has, on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, hosted the CMS Office in Abu Dhabi since 2009, and it administers both the CMS Memoranda of Understanding for the Conservation of African-Eurasian Raptors and that for Dugongs and seagrass habitats. In addition to CMS, the UAE hosts a number of other inter-governmental bodies, including the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, and a partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Dr. Abdullah Eisa Zamzam, EAD’s Assistant Secretary-General of Operations, accepted the two Champion Plus awards on behalf of Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, EAD’s Secretary-General, in the presence of Dr. Bradnee Chambers, CMS Executive Secretary. The awards were in recognition of EAD’s scientific and in-kind support to the office and the two MoUs for the period 2015 - 2019.

Launched in 2014, the Migratory Species Champion Programme has recognised several institutions. Through their financial assistance, political leadership and advocacy efforts, each of these champions has been a critical part of a solution to issues that concern migratory species. EAD was among the five new champions who received awards during this year’s event for supporting initiatives ranging from combating illegal killing of birds to implementing comprehensive measures to preserve marine life across its range states.

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak said, "Winning these awards is a reflection of the agency’s commitment to conservation; we dedicate this award to our Chairman Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, it is his stewardship that helped the agency to become a Conservation Champion."

Al Mubarak said, "Species conservation has been a priority for the United Arab Emirates government since the Union was formed. Our environment is home to dozens of species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles, and two to three million birds pass through the UAE each year on their migration from the heart of Asia southwards to Africa, or eastwards to India and beyond.

"Our marine habitats are home to the second largest population of Dugongs in the world. These habitats are also home to the endangered Hawksbill and Green Turtles, the world’s largest population of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, four globally threatened species of shark, three threatened species of ray, and around 456 species of fish," she added.

Al Mubarak continued, "Many of the migratory species of priority interest to Abu Dhabi Emirate and the UAE are also the focus of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Our agendas are therefore perfectly aligned. The UAE sits along the migratory pathway for 42 of the 93 species of African-Eurasian migratory birds of prey under the Raptors MoU. While, eighteen of Abu Dhabi’s twenty most threatened marine and terrestrial species are migratory. Of these, sixteen are addressed by CMS or one of its instruments."

"We have long understood that what happens to migratory wildlife in other countries directly affects the UAE’s success in protecting species while they reside in, or pass through its territory. No matter how committed and well-resourced our country may be, long-term conservation of migratory animals can only be achieved by engaging with other countries through international cooperation and closely coordinating conservation activities across each species’ range," Al Mubarak concluded.