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UAE gets tough on environment offenders
Fines and jail for violators of Environment Impact Assessment Act
The UAE is enforcing one of the toughest laws that include heavy fines and jail terms against environment offenders as part of its long-term strategy to protect the environment and ensure ecological balance on land, sea and in air.
 The Federal Environment Agency (FEA), the UAE’s top environment body, is enforcing such laws in collaboration with the other competent authorities, including one which covers projects that might have negative effects on the environment.
The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) means that any project that will be set up in the UAE must get prior approval by FEA to ensure it will not have any adverse impacts on the social and environment life in the UAE in the short, medium and long terms.
According to FEA Director General, Dr Salim Al Dahiri, the agency has classified nine groups of medium and large projects that are covered by this act. All parties in the country must abide by its rules or they face severe punishment.
“This law includes binding regulations for those who intend to set up projects and they include heavy penalties ranging from fines to jail terms or both,” he told Offshore Arabia.
“The law also focuses on the principle that those responsible for pollution and other environment problems must pay damages for any environment problem or damage resulting from their actions or projects....such compensations must cover the damage that directly affects the environment or result in negatively affecting the proper and legal use of the surroundings.....they must also cover costs to rehabilitate the damaged environment in social, economic and natural fields.”
Al Dahiri said all companies involved in the projects listed in those groups are affected by the EIA act except oil companies which have their own environment protection programmes and which are defined by FEA.
“These oil companies normally have integrated and comprehensive environment protection programmes so they are exempted from getting prior approval from the FEA in setting up their own projects......however, it is up to the FEA to define those companies and decide whether they are eligible for exemption....as for how we are enforcing such regulations, the FEA is in continuous contact with those oil companies and is closely cooperating with them in such fields.”
Another senior environment official said all companies are complying with environment standards for defined projects in Abu Dhabi while oil firms have their own dedicated sections to ensure all projects meet such standards.
Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Environment Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA), which is in charge of the environment in Abu Dhabi, said all permitted activities and projects should follow the Federal law number 24 for 1999 and its rules and articles.
“ERWDA has a dedicated inspection section that performs scheduled and surprise visits to make sure that all facilities and projects are complying with the environmental permit and standards,” he told Offshore Arabia.
“As for oil companies, ADNOC and its group of companies have been in this field for decades which enabled them to develop their own health, safety and environment systems that are specific to their operations and concession areas....these HSE systems are being implemented through a dedicated HSE department within ADNOC, in close coordination with ERWDA.”
He described the creation of the FEA as a “remarkable event” and stressed that ERWDA is supervising environment matters in Abu Dhabi “in close coordination with the FEA.”
He cited many projects being undertaken by ERWDA to protect the environment. They include a fish landings survey, coastal water circulation, mangrove ecosystems research, Abu Dhabi baseline survey, water resource management plan and the Abu Dhabi global environment initiative.
The ongoing onshore efforts by FEA and ERWDA run parallel with the UAE’s programmes to combat marine pollution and restore ecological balance that has largely been affected by dumping of oil and other waste and by improper fishing methods.
Last year, officials from several departments met in Dubai and discussed a national emergency plan to protect the country’s water and coasts against pollution.
Representatives from several companies as well as the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Communication, and officials from all emirates attended the meeting, which focussed on an action plan in the next stage.
“The meeting also covered measures taken by the competent authorities in each emirate to set up emergency squads comprising all relevant bodies as part of the national emergency plan to combat marine pollution,” Al Dahiri said.
“We have been informed that some emirates have completed such measures while others are in the process of taking them,” he said after the meeting.
FEA officials said they decided to stage intensive training courses for those involved in the national emergency plan covering many fields, including the proper use of equipment, detection of oil slicks and other pollutions, and measures to be taken to combat them.
They said the local emergency teams would include representatives from the ports, border and coast guards, oil companies and all other competent establishments.
“We have also decided to gather information about pollution levels, available equipment and needed staff and experts....we will also conduct studies on a continuous action and detection plan and identification of key installations which will be given priority in the anti-pollution protection plan,” Al Dahiri said.
The meeting, which will be followed by more discussions on the anti-pollution strategy in the UAE’s territorial waters, followed a decision by FEA to set up an emergency unit to combat pollution by hundreds of oil tankers and other sources.
FEA said last year it had set up the unit at its office in Dubai to coordinate information about pollution accidents and combat measures through the UAE.
The unit, called the “Operation Room for Marine Emergency (ORME)”, has already introduced free telephone and fax hotlines to receive information or complaints on pollution accidents while it is in the process of setting up a website for this purpose.
“This unit will operate round the clock and will be responsible for receiving reports on marine pollution cases and accidents throughout the UAE from all concerned parties such as environment bodies, port authorities and coast guard,” Al Dahiri said. “It will also be in charge of coordinating combat measures.”
He said the public can also call the unit on a toll free telephone number 8004180 or fax it on 04-3962113 while a website in under construction for this purpose.
The establishment of the unit follows international reports about a surge in pollution levels in the Gulf water because of tanker accidents, persistent oil leakages from vessels and pipelines, and dumping of sludge and other types of waste by some ships in disregard of recurrent instructions by local authorities to stop such illegal practices.
“There are many projects to protect the environment being implemented by the FEA in coordination with the relevant parties in all emirates,” Al Dahiri said.
“The National Environment Strategy that has been endorsed by the federal cabinet involves an effective future action plan in this regard.....besides, the FEA and the other competent parties in the UAE are carrying out other projects to ensure a clean environment in the country whether in the sea, on land or in the air.......we have priorities but our main concern is to provide proper protection to our environment.”
 In the air, the FEA said last year it had nearly completed studies on an ambitious project to set up air pollution monitoring stations through the emirates.
Last year’s Environment Day was staged under the slogan “Clean air...for a better life” and officials assured citizens that the UAE’s air has remained within acceptable pollution levels despite a sharp expansion in oil, industry and other sectors.
“The celebration today underscores our commitment to the issue of environment protection, including preserving and keeping our air clean...it is a priority in the UAE’s environment strategy,” said Hamad Al Madfa, Minister of Health and FEA Chairman.
“We all know that air round the world has been under the pressure of emissions and many other factors that have caused serious pollutions and threatened the human health...reducing the pollution has become an obsession to officials and decision-makers in most countries,” Madfa said in a statement marking the occasion.
“In the UAE, our environment has also been affected by the sharp increase in the population, which grew by more than six times to over 3.5 million in 2002 from less than 500,000 in 1975...such an increase has been accompanied with expansions in oil facilities, industries, energy and other sectors ...but I can assure you that despite such a pressure, pollution in the UAE’s air has remained within acceptable levels.”
Madfa announced that an ambitious project, one of the most advanced anti pollution schemes in the region, was about to be launched. It involves the installation of a major control network that will link air monitoring stations across the UAE.
“This network is designed to create an electronic mechanism for connecting all monitoring stations in the country so we can better monitor pollution levels, gather precise data, prepare periodic reports and devise protection plans,” he said.
“The FEA is now putting the final touches on this important project...the first phase involves the setting up of two main stations in Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah this year while more stations would be set up in other emirates at a later stage.” In Abu Dhabi, officials announced recently they have launched the second phase of a major project to reduce air pollution with the help of Norwegian experts.
The Environment Research and Wildlife Development Agency, which oversees the emirate’s environmental affairs, said it had already completed the first of four stages of the 18-month project, one of the most important anti-pollution plan in the UAE.
The first stage involved data collection and assessment in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Municipality, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Agency and the Police Department.
The second phase includes analysis of the emissions and dispersion of gases from industrial stacks and the emissions from vehicular traffic (on road and off road mobile sources) in the Emirate by using internationally approved air dispersion models.
ERWDA said the outcome of the previous stages would steer the implementation of the third and fourth stages, which comprise the construction and operation of a Central Network System, and a fully equipped and functional Air Quality Management System.
“We know that protecting the environment is mainly the responsibility of pubic institutions but the role of individuals and private establishments is also very important,” Madfa said. “We call upon the whole community to join hands to support the government’s efforts in preserving, protecting and developing the environment.”
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