The UAE’s environment scorecard has shown a steady improvement for the past two years, but it’s still not enough to sustain its demand for the long-term.

 

The UAE placed third place again after Kuwait and Qatar in the list of countries whose residents have the biggest ecological footprint, according to the Living Planet Report 2014 released on Tuesday.

 

The UAE bequeathed its most hated world title for years – the most environmentally wasteful country on the planet — to Qatar, followed by Kuwait in 2012.

 

The UAE’s ecological footprint has gone down to 7.75 global hectares per capita this year from 9.5 global hectares per capita in 2008 and 8.4 in 2010.

 

Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water and Chairman of the UAE’s Ecological Footprint Initiative (EFI), lauded the UAE’s collective effort to reduce its ecological footprint but said more should be done.

 

“Despite the important improvement in the results, the UAE’s per capita consumption remains high and unsustainable, and addressing this effectively requires our continued attention and proactive efforts to develop programmes that aim to reduce our consumption with a special focus on reduction of carbon footprint,” Dr. Bin Fahd said.

 

Ida Tillisch, Director-General of Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF and secretariat of EFI, said ensuring a balance between economic and environmental well-being is possible.

 

“In the UAE, development choices should consider the full cycle of any activity. For example, when constructing a building, water and energy consumption should be factored in at the design stage as well as when the building is in use. By making such smart choices, we can reduce the use of natural resources.”

 

 

PHOTO: The Dubai Marina fountain area at night.

CREDIT: Jaime Puebla / The National