Nakheel launches eco-protection development at The Lake District in International City

The Lake District inside Nakheel’s 800 hectare International City project in the Al Warsan area of Dubai is currently under development to protect more than 186 species of birds, including some of the rarest in the Arabian and Asian regions that have chosen Al Warsan Lake as their nesting grounds.

Along with Al Warsan Lake, the Lake District will host several multi storeyed residential buildings built in Indonesian and Thai themed elevations.

Nakheel is investing resources in developing the Al Warsan Lake, making it the first lake in the GCC countries to be designed and developed to protect wildlife. A team of leading wetland specialists, including Nakheel’s in-house environmental experts have been formed into a project consortium commissioned to prepare a Lake Enhancement, Preservation and Management Plan that focuses on creating a sustainable wildlife sanctuary located in the heart of an urban development.

Commenting on the project, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of Nakheel said, “Nakheel is developing The Lake District as an ecological community where environmental protection is given capital over developing residential properties. Conserving the bio-diversity at Al Warsan Lake forms a key corporate strategy for Nakheel. Protecting the large number of bird species and maintaining a favourable ecological balance is high on our agenda. Over the years, Nakheel has invested heavily in ecosystem management and sustainability, and we make sure that conservation is incorporated into our corporate culture wherever possible. By developing and protecting the Al Warsan Lake, Nakheel is taking another step forward in promoting the positive vision that Dubai presents to the world.”

According to a report by the Emirates Bird Records Committee, the total number of bird species that have been discovered at Al Warsan Lake, equals 45 per cent of the total species of birds sighted in the UAE. Of these, seven species of birds breed at the lake including Purple Gallinule, which breeds no where else in Arabia and the Red Knobbed Coot which breeds no where else in Asia. In order to understand the opportunities presented by the Al Warsan Lake, the newly formed team of wetland specialists comprised of Omrania & Associates, Aukett Limited, Dar Al-Taqniya, Campbell Reith Hill and Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique have surveyed the existing habitats that are currently attracting wildfowl and laid out plans for developing the basis of the proposed habitat creation programme at the lake.

Meanwhile, Nakheel is actively engaged in negotiations with The International RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, leading to international recognition and promotion of the Al Warsan Lake Project as a global landmark. The Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources, and is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem.

Plans are also in place to set up a central visitor center, which will include education, interpretation, shopping and restaurant facilities for a broad range of visitor groups. “Visitors will have the rare opportunity of seeing and studying birds in their natural habitat, without disturbing them. This will make people aware of the need for conserving valuable wildlife in the region and create public awareness of environmental issues,” concluded Bin Sulayem.

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