'Increase in Wasit Wetland water levels due to rain good for biodiversity'

Sharjah - The rising water levels in the centre's lagoons guarantee a wetter habitat, and ecological diversity will significantly help protect the habitat.

Heavy rainfall increased water levels to 80mm in Sharjah's Wasit Wetland Centre lagoons recently.
The rain that hit areas across the UAE in January 2016 was measured at 60mm, providing a wetland habitat for migratory animals, plants and birds in the Wasit Nature Reserve.  
Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, said: "The rising water levels in the centre's lagoons guarantee a wetter habitat. Ecological diversity will significantly help protect the habitat, the biodiversity and the number of migratory species present in our ecosystem. Water is an essential source of life and growth for all species, and the right amount of rising water levels will help ensure the sustainability of this reserve, which aims to preserve the country's biodiversity and protect endangered species."  
Wasit Wetland Centre is situated in the Wasit Nature Reserve, which recently inaugurated the Wasit Migratory Birds Centre - a substantial initiative to protect rare and endangered species of birds.
The centre contains many facilities such as educational classes, a bird observatory platform, and high tech structures to help develop a renewed habitat that serves the life in the reserve.  
The Wasit Nature Reserve is an important habitat to preserve the ecological balance in the UAE, and an important centre for study and research related to the environment and biological conservation.
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• Sharjah