This project will serve as a platform for capacity building in specific aspects of coastal marine management in the UAE, the wider Gulf region, and the international community. We plan to conduct a series of training workshops on relevant topics, initiate collaborative research with members of the regional academic community, hold a series of triennial-international scientific conferences as well as provide long-term mentoring of Nakheel and affiliated personnel. In this way we share experience gained in Dubai waters and promulgate best practice for environmental sustainability in the face of major off-shore construction projects.

Project Activities

The agreement was formally signed in January 2007. During its first six months, UNU-INWEH recruited a small Dubai-based team to be housed within the Nakheel Environment Department. They are supported by a North American-based team including Principal Investigators from three Universities. A 4-5 year research and monitoring program has been planned, and needed equipment is being secured. Initial activities include staff training, establishment of a marine environmental laboratory, basic research studies to document the ecology of the ecosystems being developed, and provision of predictive management tools.