The Year of Sustainability
Sustainability is a way of life that the UAE's people have been taught since ancient times, when grandparents and parents relied on what their environment produced through agriculture, diving, fishing, and grazing. They have taken a keen interest in their land's natural wealth, reaping the benefits and reusing it through recycling and optimal exploitation.
This interest remained and did not end at certain limits because the people of the UAE appreciate the value of life and the natural environment, as well as the necessity of preserving this land's resources, and this interest took shape in the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's genius of simplicity when he said: “We pay the utmost care and attention to our environment for it is an integral part of our country, our history and our heritage. Our fathers and grandfathers lived on this land to preserve it, they only took from it what they needed and left what future generations will use as a source and spring of giving.”, a statement that reflects an innate awareness of the importance of preserving resources, expressed by Sheikh Zayed "may God rest his soul" in many methodologies and mechanisms for the development of natural resources such as agriculture, particularly the cultivation of Crimean trees, and the preservation of the marine and land environment, as well as its animal resources.
For years, the UAE has developed proactive strategies to achieve the vision of its wise leadership in order to achieve sustainability, seeking to achieve exemplary sustainability not only at the regional but also at the global level through research, development, and innovation programs. As a result, the declaration of 2023 as the "Year of Sustainability" by the UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, confirms the UAE's ability and willingness to maintain its leading and active role in achieving the sustainable development goals through concerted efforts and partnerships to achieve our common goals towards a better future for humanity. The UAE is a pioneer in infrastructure development, industry development, and innovation, and has made significant progress in these areas. It also seeks to achieve targets related to air quality, water resource conservation, increased reliance on clean energy, and green development through its development strategies.
All of these efforts contribute to an ecosystem that will achieve all of the goals necessary for sustainable development. These efforts also emphasize in a variety of ways the importance of raising awareness of legislation aimed at preserving health and preventing pollution and other activities that may jeopardize the safety of the environment and society.
Members of the UAE society are always involved through their individual initiatives because of their level of awareness about preserving the environment and natural resources, which is enhanced by wise leadership's vision. We find this awareness and initiatives that express their commitment to legislation and laws aimed at achieving environmental sustainability in a variety of activities such as pollution control, energy consumption reduction, water conservation, rationalizing consumption processes, and recycling what is consumed.
According to the wise leadership's vision, there is no doubt that the members of the UAE society will build an ideal model of sustainability and will cooperate with countries around the world to benefit from the programs and mechanisms of this model, allowing all of us to work together to protect our planet.
Fatima bint Mubarak
