It can start with a single straw, discarded on a beach in Ras Al Khaimah or perhaps left behind after a desert picnic in Dubai. Plastic bags, bottle caps, ropes, textiles and other stray objects all pose the same danger. Indistinguishable from food, they are frequently swallowed by local wildlife, becoming compacted in the digestive tract to form "polybezoars" – hard lumps of synthetic material that can cause serious injury and often death.
A recent paper published in the Journal of Arid Environments by a team of UAE-based researchers investigates the threat of polybezoars caused by pollution to UAE wildlife. The phenomenon, the researchers note, has been found in the digestive tracts of local cattle, sheep, goats, Arabian Oryx and other grazing animals. The most vulnerable among them is the camel.
Synthetic waste forms huge lumps inside the animals' stomachs called polybezoars, such as the one seen here inside a camel skeleton in a desert in the UAE. Courtesy: Dr Ulrich Wernery
There are over 390,000 camels in the UAE, including wild and domesticated populations. They are the Emirates' pre-eminent grazers, spending up to nine hours each day foraging the country's arid landscape.
As a consequence, they are among the greatest victims of pollution and littering. Of 30,000 camel remains surveyed by the researchers, 300 were found to contain polybezoars. The camels either died suddenly, over period of weeks due to organ failure or over even longer periods as a result of starvation. One in 100 camels in the UAE, the data suggests, may die this way.
Even domesticated camels are susceptible. In recent years, UAE authorities have taken considerable steps to curb the problem of overgrazing, in which domesticated livestock are allowed to forage beyond designated areas. That practice has posed problems for the wider ecosystem, exacerbating desertification. But it also increases the likelihood of domestic camels feeding on pollutants. In July, the Abu Dhabi government instituted grazing permits to help put an end to these practices.
But the core of the issue is not where camels and other animals range. It is rather what they encounter. Littering is a common problem not only in the UAE, but around the world. As Dr Ulrich Wernery, one of the researchers who authored the paper on polybezoars, notes, "It is a worldwide problem and people should be aware about the consequences of leaving litter behind."
In October, Dubai Municipality commenced a five-month desert clean-up operation, deploying over 100 personnel to the effort. In six weeks alone, municipality staff collected approximately 130 tonnes of general waste from the natural landscape.
As the UAE weather cools for the winter and residents escape to nature, the level of waste in the desert is at risk of increasing. As Abdulmajeed Saifaie, Dubai's director of waste management, told The National last week, municipality workers are on alert for refuse left behind from barbecues and hiking trips.
The responsibility to care for the environment and to protect wildlife, however, must not rest with government alone. As Mr Saifaie points out, visitors to the desert have a duty to demonstrate social responsibility by cleaning up after themselves. We are all responsible for taking care of our environment.
The Emirates is a refuge, with people drawn from every corner of the earth to seek opportunity and a better life. But it is a refuge for its wildlife, too. Camels, like other animals evolved in the deserts of the Gulf, are as hardy as they are adaptable. Nonetheless, even they cannot withstand the pressures created by the negligence of a few.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
2018: Formal work begins
November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
New schools in Dubai
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
