Last year Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) - WWF announced its acceptance as an associate member of the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE) to become the National Coordinator for Blue Flag Programme in the UAE.

On Monday April 5 from 10-12pm, the first National Blue Flag workshop will be conducted by EWS –WWF at Al Raha Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi to inform potential Blue Flag applicants on how to apply for the Blue Flag certification. “There are still spaces available at the workshop and we encourage everyone with an interest in the Blue Flag programme to attend.” Said Lisa Perry, Conservation Programme Director at EWS-WWF.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas. The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development at beaches/marinas through strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and other services.

“The water quality at our beaches is a concern for many residents and tourist in the UAE. With the Blue Flag people can be more confident that the water is safe for them and their children to swim in” said Ms Perry. “In order for a beach to be certified a whole list of criteria needs to be fulfilled. For example, the beach must fully comply with the water quality sampling and frequency requirements as well as comply with the standards and requirements for water quality analysis. Moreover, the Blue Flag Programme includes environmental education and information for the public, decision makers and tourism operators.”

Commenting on this initiative, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of EWS-WWF said, "The UAE has a beautiful coastline, extending over 1000 km. The Blue Flag programme would support the protection of this asset by presenting a platform of good public governance in the form of a certification in order to improve coastal facilities that are litter-free and boast a high recreational water quality, in addition to adequate beach users’ safety services."

All beaches and marinas seeking the Blue Flag certification will be subject to assessments and spot-checks from national, regional and international panels, coordinated by the FEE, a Denmark based Non governmental organization.

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