The Arabian wonder gecko (page 2 of 2)

Due to its restricted distribution and rapid decline of habitat, the Arabian wonder gecko has already been classified as Critically Endangered by the Environmental Agency - Abu Dhabi. The only problem is that its habitat in coastal sands between Ghantoot and Umm al Quwain, is disappearing under land reclamation schemes for real estate development.

What is happening offshore is being replicated in the coastal desert and further inland. A prized terrestrial habitat, home to a unique species, the wonder gecko, is thus vanishing at the same rapid pace as another biologically diverse and productive marine ecosystem of the world: the coral reefs.

So, what is the prospect of the gecko's survival? Like most countries, the UAE has ratified biodiversity and environment-related international conventions. Since the 1990s, the establishment of protected areas in UAE has been gaining momentum and the country now has a strong legal framework to protect the environment.

More than 10 federal laws and 20 emiri decrees concerning the marine and coastal environment alone have been produced by the UAE since its creation in 1971. None of these laws and decrees, however, provide a comprehensive framework for integrated planning and management of the coastal zone. As a beginning, the first Coastal Zone Management Law has recently been proposed for Abu Dhabi.

The salvation of the UAE's rarest species and habitats today depends more than ever on the rapid integration of the environment and its preservation in decision making and development planning (with proper environmental impact assessments) at high local and federal levels.

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picture: © Drew Gardner