Marawah Island
A Seven Thousand Year Old Legacy of 
Environmental and Historical Riches

Date: 26/11/2006
Source: Al Ittihad (Ahmad Al Mansouri)  

Murawah Island is a protected natural reserve located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, with distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other areas in the Gulf region. In addition to the wealth and diversity of its environment and marine life, the island is also one of the most important archaeological sites in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, containing archeological remains dating back to seven thousand years. 

The Emiri Decree No. 18 of 2001 issued by the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, declared Murrwah island a marine protected area and entrusted the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) with the responsibility of administering and managing it as part of its commitment to uphold the conservation of natural resources, ecosystems, wildlife and wildlife habitats. 

The island of Marawah lies around 100 kilometres to the west of the city of Abu Dhabi and occupies a total area of 2455 square kilometers which makes it the largest marine protected area in the region.  There are three islands in proximity to Marawah: the small island of Al Fiyah to the west, the island of Junaina to the southeast, and the island of Abu al Abyad in the east.
Media visit to the Island. 

Media visit
EAD recently organized a visit to the island by members of the media in Abu Dhabi to acquaint them with the environmental and biological diversity in the island, the way it is managed and preserved and EAD’s plans for maintaining the ecological balance in the island. They were also introduced to its wealth of ancient settlement remains, which date back to over 7,000 years.

Ashraf Al Cibahy, Head of Marine Protected Areas, EAD, said that a number of studies were conducted in the past on the sea turtles, and Socotra cormorant found in the island, which directed the UAE’s = government’s attention to the importance of declaring the island a  marine protected area. "These studies culminated in the issuance of a decree in 2001 declaring the island a marine protected area, and an action plan for the environmental management of the island was set up,  ,while social and economic studies were continued, especially involving the island’s local population whose ancestors had settled there thousands of years ago and took up the professions of fishing and diving," he added. 

Ashraf Al Cibahy noted that the island supports its local population in the form of approximately 20 million dirhams annually due to its marine life and fish resource. Therefore the law was issued with the intent of protecting this historical right of the local population.

The Importance of Murawah Island
The Marawah Marine Protected Area is home to a number of endangered and threatened species, including Dugong, turtles and dolphins that occur in the surrounding waters, with the vast extent of intertidal mudflats host to internationally important numbers of migratory waterbirds in winter and during passage periods, including many hundreds of great knot (Calidris tenuirostris), a species which breeds only in far eastern Siberia and which otherwise migrates to Australia for the winter. Mangrove trees, many apparently of considerable age, grow along sheltered shorelines and bays, with numerous tidal channels fringed by healthy stands. Marawah is one of few sites in the UAE where mangrove is spreading naturally. Little green herons (Butorides striatus), western reef herons (Egretta gularis) and clamorous reed warblers (Acrocephalus stentoreus) all feed and nest in this habitat.

The Management of the island
The goal of the Management of Marawah is to preserve the natural diversity and quality of coastal and marine environment for the economic, social, scientific and cultural benefits of the people of Abu Dhabi Emirate and the UAE. The guidelines of the plan have been defined and adopted to perform outlined actions. Actions constitute a multitude of management tasks such as zoning, permitting, ecological assessments, compliance monitoring, consultation, with stakeholders. 

Environmental threats
There are a number of risks and practices that threaten marine areas and the environment, which has EAD works hard at preventing.  

These threats include: 
• Loss and disintegration of habitats due to the development of the coastline and subsequent rubble and burial pits
• Pollution resulting from the dumping of waste oil spills and causing the destruction of the island’s ecosystem and the death   
  of marine species.
• Over fishing and the destruction of natural habitats because of unlawful fishing practices
• Disturbing birds and sea turtles due to leisure and camping activities by campers and visitors to the island.
• The destruction and damage of archaeological sites due to tempering with them or the passage of cars and motorcycles on  them.