climate change on UAE - Stockholm Environment Institute-US Center

night when gas inter<strong>change</strong>s take place, and
water is used much more efficiently. The
absorbed carbon dioxide is temporarily stored
overnight and then transfused through the
plant during the day while the stomata are
closed. This phenomenon occurs in several
common UAE species including Portulaca
oleracea, Aizoon canariehse and Citrullus
colocynthis.
Autonomous adaptation by Fauna
Desert ecosystem is home to a wide range
of animals which are biologically adapted to
extremely harsh climatic conditions and survive
for long periods of time with little or no water.
Most of the desert animals have autonomously
developed adaptive strategies to their dry
environment by e.g. “burrowing or spending long
periods resting in holes well below the surface,
while others move rapidly beneath the surface
of uncompacted sand. Some possess hard or
thorny skins. The camel is a typical animal
which is the most adapted mammal to the
desert conditions. With all his organs modified
to store and efficiently utilize the water.
Planned Adaptation Strategies
Although ecosystems have adapted to changing
conditions in the past, current <strong>change</strong>s
are occurring at rates not seen historically,
consequently, coping with future <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong>
will require effective adaptation in dryland
areas. Throughout the UAE, significant effort
has been expended toward afforestation and the
construction of green areas. Such green tracts
while conserving tree species, they provide
shade and evaporative cooling effects, as well
as some degree of protection from sandstorms
for cities in the UAE (Salloum, 2001).
Adaptation efforts could include the expansion
of these afforestation programs, with a
significant focus on the more efficient use of
water for tree and plant production. While
green areas provide an invaluable service
to dryland ecosystems and protection of
the inhabited areas which they border, it is
important to manage their development in a
manner integrated with water resources to
avoid competition between different uses.
Insitu conservation of species has also been
planned in the Emirates. Based on Al-Abed and
Hellyer (2001), adaptation efforts in shrubland
and woodland areas, could be focused on the
restoration and rehabilitation of impacted
ecosystems. Currently only two protected areas,
one terrestrial, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, and
the second marine reserves, Morrawah Marine
Protected area, have been formally established
through official decrees. Al Wathba, an inland
wetland with an area of 4.9 km² was declared as
protected area mainly to protect the breeding
colony of the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus
roseus, while the Morrawah Marine protected
Areas (MMPA) covers 8 islands and intervening
waters covering an area of 4255 km² and has
been established to protect overall marine
biodiversity including birds.
Two more protected areas, the Jebel Hafit
National Park with a proposed area of about
96 km² and Umm az-Zamul National Park
with an area of more than 10000 km² have
been proposed. To provide protection for
resident and migratory species of land birds
such as Egyptian Vulture, Sand Partridge,
Hoopoe Lark and the Golden Eagle (Aquila
chrysaetos) and Eagle Owl. The proposed
protected areas are expected to provide
protection mainly from human interference
and disturbance. However, more research and
studies are needed to identify the impacts of
<strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> on different plant and animal
species as well as their natural habitat, and to
develop the appropriate adaptation measures.
IUCN (2006) identified a number of measures
that need to be implemented to increase the
adaptation of mangroves to impacts of <strong>climate</strong>
<strong>change</strong> including: restore degraded areas that
have demonstrated resistance or resilience
to <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong>; understand and preserve
connectivity between mangroves and sources
of freshwater, establish baseline data and
monitor the response of mangroves to <strong>climate</strong>
<strong>change</strong> and to implement adaptive strategies to
compensate for <strong>change</strong>s in species ranges and
environmental conditions. According to IPCC-
TAR, identifying peripheral species of interest
and protecting their habit will likely enhance
planned adaptation for natural ecosystems.
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