UAE marks World Environment Day

Abu Dhabi, June 6, 2010 (WAM) - The UAE marked the World Environment Day, which corresponds with June 5 every year. The celebration will be held under the theme "More Diversity, One Planet, One Future". UAE Environment and Water Minister Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd, said on this occasion that the world countries are seizing this day to draw attention to one of the issues that grabs priority at the international level to mobilise efforts to tackle the environmental challenges and curb them. He underscored that this year celebration will focus on the biodiversity, which has been enjoying in recent years attention, due to continuous deterioration of biodiversity whether at local or international level. The UAE minister noted that the red list of endangered species issued by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), said 17, 000 species of fresh water fish, 70 per cent of plants and 35 per cent of invertebrates are endangered. – Emirates News Agency, WAM