Sharjah: Sharjah’s Wasit Wetland Centre has joined hands with the Wetland Link Intenrational (WLFI) network to preserve wildlife and biodiversity in the emirate.
Wetland Link International is a global network of wetland centers with 350 members across six continents, known as WLI. It has received official recognition through a memorandum of understanding with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and it acts as a key mechanism to assist educational wetland centers and contracting parties in the Ramsar Convention. It enables them to promote communication programs, raise awareness about educational initiatives and training programs at the community level, exchange expertise, and disseminate relevant conservation tools, which are collectively known as CEPA in wetlands.
Natural reserves
Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA), expressed great pride in the successful membership of Wasit Wetland Centre to the network. She also has officially received the membership certificate.
She said that the recognition reflected the success of the Sharjah government’s efforts in developing natural reserves and wetlands across various regions and cities of the emirate, considering them an essential cornerstone and an important pillar of its environmental strategy.
Wasit Wetland Centre
Aisha Al Midfa, Incharge of the Wasit Wetland Centre, said that the centre consists of expansive sand dunes, fresh water ponds, mudflats and salty coastal lakes. It supports a broad array of wildlife species that inhabit in the wetland areas, providing them with food, shelter in a safe haven, and optimal opportunities for nesting and breeding.
Awareness mission
Aisha said that the centre has succeeded in fulfilling its environmental mission by introducing visitors to various types of coastal birds and their gatherings. She noted that the Centre hosts more than 60 species of resident and migratory birds offering a unique opportunity to bird watchers.
