The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and the Ministry of Environment and Water announced yesterday that they will collaborate on research and the gathering of statistics. A memorandum of understanding, which will see the two bodies co-operate for three years, was signed in the capital by the Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid bin Fahad, and Mohamed al Bowardi, the managing director of the EAD.
"The UAE aspires to develop and apply effective methods and tools for better collection, management and utilisation of environmental data," said Mr al Bowardi. A lack of reliable data as well as scant records documenting changes to the environment have often been pointed to as a significant obstacles in formulating effective environmental policies. In addition to the EAD and ministry partnership on statistics, Abu Dhabi has launched the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, in conjunction with the UN Environment Programme.
The programme was behind the publication of Abu Dhabi's first environment report in 2007. In 2005, it emerged that the UAE scored 110th out of 145 countries measured on a previous environmental sustainability index.
