Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recently held a meeting with a team of officials from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to discuss the ministry's strategy in the comprehensive action plan of the UAE government for the post-pandemic period. During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed highlighted that the UAE has emerged as a leading nation in the region to prioritise climate change and environmental protection in its agenda by launching significant initiatives and green policies aimed at protecting the ecosystem. He further called for strengthening plans for protecting the environment, preserving crucial resources, reinforcing biodiversity, along with achieving the highest levels of productivity in the efforts towards a green economy.

The meeting was also attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affair, and Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

Sheikh Mohammed also called for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to prioritise the need for increasing food diversity, ensuring food safety, and achieving local self-sufficiency, in its plans for the post-COVID-19 era.

"Local food products should be supported as a key element in the food security system and a contributor to the consolidation of the sustainable development process," His Highness said.

Adding that green economy is going to be crucial for key industries in the country, Sheikh Abdullah laid emphasis on the need for combining plans for protecting the environment and achieving economic sustainability while drafting future plans for the post-pandemic recovery.

"Our mission is to smartly invest in our natural resources and protect the environment," he stated.

He further called for expanding the UAE's regional and international partnerships across the globe on the basis of a joint vision aimed at preserving Earth's resources, diversifying sources of energy, and mitigating the socio-economic impact of climate change. This vision for joint efforts has come in line with the global Coronavirus pandemic and significant learning from the fight against the crisis that countries across the world share one fate and one future, and that governments cannot work alone to protect the planet.

Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, presented the future strategy of the ministry and all significant portfolios to be addressed in its plan. He further lauded the efforts of the UAE's leadership and its readiness to support and guide the country's institutions and officials in achieving the goal of overall sustainable development.

He explained that the ministry has been working jointly with all concerned authorities in both the public and private sectors to accomplish the paramount strategic goals of the country’s leadership. He also noted that the ministry understands the need for establishing a sector that will be characterised by flexibility and potential to achieve the needs and requirements of the community with the help of appropriate knowledge, technologies, and good practices.

The minister also expressed confidence in fully utilising advanced technologies and good practices for overcoming the challenges faced by the country's food production sector, such as climate change and limited water resources, towards the creation of better development opportunities for those in need.

Later, Dr. Al Nuaimi said that the ministry has conducted a series of field visits in coordination with various partners from local departments ranging from food laboratories to border ports and from farmers to fishermen. These field visits were carried out based on the directives of Sheikh Mohammed with the aim to explore various challenges faced by the food production sector and analyse various opportunities for improvements. Through these visits, the ministry also planned to reinforce its plans and efforts focused on promoting local food products and supporting farmers and fishermen.

"During our visits to many farms around the country, we witnessed advanced and sustainable agricultural practices and high-quality products, which is promising in terms of our capacity to develop this sector and reinforce the competitiveness of our local products," he added.

Dr Al Nuaimi also pointed out that one of the major aims of the ministry’s future strategy is to ensure food diversity and local self-sufficiency based on the highest standards of safety and security. This will further boost the country's competitiveness and promote its local food products and will foster its position as a key centre of the commercial food trade.

During the presentation, he highlighted that the ministry has been working in coordination with its partners to achieve sustainable local production empowered by advanced technology for the entire value chain. The ministry aims to attain sustainable local production through various ways such as by supporting and promoting local agricultural products, boosting the capacities of producers and diversifying their partnerships with potential sales platforms, developing and assisting various programmes targeted at fostering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), attracting more investments, and encouraging increased participation of private sector in the sector.

Explaining about the UAE's wide range of wildlife and marine life, Al Nuaimi highlighted that the country's environmental plans have prioritised the need for preserving the biodiversity and crucial ecosystems along with protecting several endangered species. To achieve this goal, he notified that the ministry has drafted a national biodiversity strategy - "UAE Smart Map of Natural Capital," along with identifying various alien and invasive species that threaten the local biodiversity of the country.

Al Nuaimi further stressed that the marine environment is one of the most important and richest natural systems on various fronts including the economy. He shared the details of various accomplishments achieved by the ministry from the protection of the environment, including the launch of the National Climate Change Plan, which is the first of its kind plan in the region. The minister also spoke about the federal draft law on climate change and a national programme to counter climate change.

Adding that air quality has been a significant priority for the UAE leadership due to its impact on health, economy and environment, Al Nuaimi stressed that the country has been monitoring its air quality since 2007 through 54 monitoring stations located all across the country. Addressing the issue of waster management, he stated that the ministry has diverted its focus towards minimising waste generation and converting waste into energy and an economic resource with the help of recycling.

In conclusion, Al Nuaimi said, "We aim to raise the percentage of treated municipal solid waste to 75 percent."

WAM