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Module ? Development puts heritage sites under pressure. Rapid development has placed considerable stress
1 on the cultural heritage as urbanization and coastal development have put a considerable strain

on palaeontological and archaeological sites. The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage
is undertaking a number of activities including among others; creating baseline information about
the Emirate cultural heritage, recommending further laws and regulations to protect, promote and
preserve these values, conducting archaeological surveys and regulating excavations, and providing
9-12 December, 2013 ? Most of the development in the country is taking place in coastal areas. This changes lands› original
support for training and educational activities.

landscape. Similarly, the interior land of the state is experiencing also major changes in the last
decades due to overgrazing, and intensification of forage production. A number of responses
is being adopted or recommended including; adopting integrated land use planning, enforcing
environmental impact assessment requirements, regulating agricultural activities, and enforcing
existing laws and regulations regarding grazing.

? The majority of fish stocks in the country are being exploited well in excess of sustainable levels.
Strategic environmental plans, Legislation, increased monitoring, control and surveillance, ending the
duplication of mandates and better communication, coordination and follow-up among Agencies
are recommended.

? Hazardous wastes generated from non-oil industries and other sources are expected to increase to
22,000 tonnes by 2015 unless waste management practices are changed. Currently, solid hazardous
wastes are mostly deposited in landfills, although some are illegally dumped. EAD is in the process
of developing relevant bylaws concerning waste management. Other regulatory measures are
recommended to keep waste disposal under control.

? Abu Dhabi Emirate’s daily water consumption rate is one of the world’s highest domestic water
consumption rates. Continued extractions at current levels will deplete the fresh and brackish
groundwater resources within 50 years. Due to excessive irrigation with brackish water, soil is
becoming salty in many places and ground water is contaminated by nitrate leaching due to over
fertilization. There is an urgent need to develop alternative, strategic water resources to overcome
these problems. A number of important priority actions to be considered in order to improve the
current water situation were recommended.

? Abu Dhabi has registered a population growth rate of 200 per cent during the past 20 years. Oil
and gas exploration, energy, light industries, tourism and agriculture are the main economic activities
in the country.

? Communication and outreach, and laws and regulations were employed as the two main basic
approaches for extending environmental management into different sectors of economy in the
country.

34 The GEO Approach to Integrated Environmental Assessment