The UAE will continue its role in mobilising international efforts to support environmental action, protect life, and preserve resources for future generations. The UAE celebrates the contributions of all those who champion environmental protection and strive to achieve collective progress in this field. Through dialogue and collaboration, the UAE will continue to serve as a global convener for sustainability solutions in pursuit of a better future for all.
HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi
Environmental protection in the UAE is ensured through the effective implementation of environmental laws and policies. Federal Law 23 & Federal Law 24 are two of the most significant, underpinning the UAE’s conservation agenda and policies.
Additionally, the UAE Vision 2030 places a high value on the conservation of the natural environment and protection of ecosystems from urbanisation as well as and other human activities. To further this mandate, the country has established environmental institutions, overseen by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
The UAE has 33 terrestrial protected areas, covering more than 18 per cent of its land territory, and 16 marine protected areas that account for 12 per cent of its marine and coastal territory.
Several of these protected areas have achieved international recognition, including the designation of 10 wetlands as Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, five Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), and one site listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas.
