20 young UAE nature ambassadors to float green ideas, solutions

Top Stories

20, young, UAE, nature ambassadors, float, green ideas, solutions

Abu Dhabi - Sharing their thoughts, the young change-makers said they were excited about the opportunity and looked forward to assisting the decision-makers.

by

Ashwani Kumar

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Mon 3 Aug 2020, 8:00 PM

Last updated: Tue 4 Aug 2020, 6:27 PM

A diverse bunch of 20 young eco-warriors - who have been picked as UAE Ambassadors for Nature - will come up with innovative solutions to environmental challenges in the next eight months after a three-stage process.
During these three stages - Learn, Act and Inspire - the youngsters will take part in workshops as well as e-learning sessions till September. Till January, they will hit the ground implementing activities. In the final leg from November till March, the young green minds will deliver their own projects to drive change in the community.
The scheme comes as part of Connect with Nature, an initiative founded by Emirates Nature - WWF and Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi with the International Fund for Houbara Conservation as a strategic partner.
Sharing their thoughts, the young change-makers said they were excited about the opportunity and looked forward to assisting the decision-makers.
Aaesha Ahmed Mohamed Al Shehyari, an eco ambassador who works at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, said the Connect with Nature movement is a platform to create a greener UAE and a sustainable world.
"My plans include putting emphasis on engaging a larger group of youth to further raise awareness on the importance and impact of the environment, in collaboration with decision-makers, as well as joining efforts towards incorporating eco-tourism," pointed out Al Shehyari, who oversees the occupational health and safety in the tourism establishments.
"I look forward to educating individuals to be more considerate when it comes to nature, starting from committing themselves to healthy eating, and exploring alternative solutions that can help reduce the human-induced impact on Earth," the 26-year-old Emirati underlined.
Al Shehyari, who also works as a freelance tourist guide, voiced one of her reform measures: "I hope to see environmental taxes applied on travellers."
For a big impact
Meanwhile, 19-year-old student Sameer Shaik aims to educate people about the consequences of their actions on the environment. "I hope to motivate people to make small changes so that we can collectively make a big impact on saving our planet for future generations to enjoy. We are seeing more people becoming aware of nature around them amid the lockdown. I hope that this develops and continues to grow, with people having a greater appreciation of the nature and everything it offers us," said Shaik, who is an avid birdwatcher and actively involved with initiatives like iNaturalist and the UAE Birding.
Hannah Melville-Rea, a research fellow at New York University Abu Dhabi, said: "I aim to amplify the positive impact that environmental research can have. Through the programme, I hope to involve wider populations in my upcoming research projects on UAE air quality and sea level rise. I hope to see this movement produce champions for nature in all corners of the UAE."
Hannah, who has been part of initiatives like Youth Climate Think Tank, Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots and NYUAD's Office of Community Outreach, envisions a post-Covid world where the people "band together, instead of pushing each other further apart and act in accordance with our best available science and care for our most vulnerable community members".
20 UAE Ambassadors for Nature
Aaesha Ahmed Al Shehyari (26), Hannah Melville-Rea (23), Sameer Shaik (19), Abdulla Almatrooshi (19), Meera Harara (21), Ameera AlMarzooqi (27), Meenakshi Jayachandran Nair (17), Tamara Arbid (24), Fayaz Anwar (23), Kamilya Bekmukhambetova (20) Lotte Koornneef (16), Mohammad Sadiq (16), Judy Mahfouz (30), Princess Erika Denice Henson (25), Nadine Kassab (23), Christine Joyce N. Francisco (20), Lara Rudar (16), Joude Dallal (22), Alaa Masood (25), Hoor Ali Ahmad Alrais Ahli (15).
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com 


More news from