‘Sheikh Zayed turned the desert into a green haven.’ Explain the statement.
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Answers
Explanation:
In 1946, Shaikh Zayed launched a pioneering project for the development of a water resources management system that was centred in Al Ain. By using both the traditional ‘aflaj’ or underground canal system of irrigation and modern technology, he was able to raise productivity in existing agricultural lands and introduce new varieties of produce in farmlands.
Water was UAE’s most precious natural resource, according to Shaikh Zayed. He encouraged finding new mechanisms for effectively conserving water and was always looking for ways to boost ground water reserves.
Agricultural experimentation played a key role in transforming the desert landscape, especially in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi’s Al Sa’adiyat islands. Pilot experimentation stations were established in these areas in the 1970s, with more than 283 farms initiated in different locations in Al Ain.
However, the visionary leader knew that all efforts to expand greenery would be rendered useless if the desert continued to encroach on productive land. He encouraged the introduction of indispensable measures, by erecting dams, taking care of ground water, using fertilisers, building fertiliser factories and growing salt-tolerant plants.
Tree-planting project
One of the most visible and enduring results of Shaikh Zayed’s efforts can be seen on both sides of the road between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. A tree-planting project that began at the end of the 1960s continues to prosper even today, with more than a 100 million trees currently existing within the borders of the UAE.
The city of Al Ain alone has more than 75 modern forests, each with an average area ranging between two to three square kilometres. The variety of trees planted were chosen carefully and assessed for their ability to survive in the harsh summer climate of the region, with greater emphasis on local breeds. It is no wonder Al Ain is known as the “Garden City” of the UAE.
Along with protecting the land, Shaikh Zayed shouldered the responsibility of building nature reserves and conserving wildlife. Often commended as his greatest achievement in this regard, Sir Bani Yas Island is a haven for endangered species such as gazelles.
Under his directives, breeding programmes in Al Ain Zoo helped increase the number of the Arabian oryx from four in the 1960s to its present number of 2,500. Such programmes were also extended to birds such as falcons and the Asian Houbara Bustard.
What began as a vision has now transformed into a reality. Additionally, about 20 per cent of the world’s date palms exist in the UAE with a myriad species of plants and flowers.
Shaikh Zayed said it best: “On land and in the sea, our forefathers lived and survived in this environment. They were able to do so only because they recognised the need to conserve it, to take from it only what they needed to live and to preserve it for succeeding generations.”