14 Dec
2006 - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – WWF and
its partners in the United Arab Emirates have
launched a campaign here to protect the endangered
ghaf tree.
The ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) grows in the desert
regions of south-eastern Arabia, as well as in
Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.
For centuries it has been an
essential food source, as well as a source of
fuel, shelter and medicine. Its leaves were once
used instead of rice, its elongated pods provide
fodder for animals which in turn supply milk,
butter, cheese and meat. The ghaf woodlands also
support large populations of insects, which in
turn provide food for reptiles, birds and small
mammals. This sturdy, evergreen tree can withstand
prolonged drought and high salinity, tapping water
deep in the sands. The existence of ghaf in an
area indicates the presence of groundwater.
But mounting developmental and
demographic pressures are contributing to the
tree's decline as ghaf woodlands are being cleared
and groundwater over-extracted; depriving the
trees of the little water they need to survive.
"Excessively grazed and
widely disregarded by modern communities, the
ghaf may be lost unless protection measures are
initiated," said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak,
Director of WWF UAE.
To help save the species, WWF
and its local partners have launched a campaign
to raise public awareness about the ghaf and its
values, while encouraging people to vote for it
to be designated as the UAE's national tree. An
interactive website to support the campaign not
only provides information about ghaf, it allows
users to plant saplings in a virtual ghaf garden,
and cast their votes in a virtual ballot box.
“We will plant one real ghaf
sapling in the desert for every ten planted in
the virtual garden,” elaborated Al Mubarak. “Votes
cast will strengthen our petition to the UAE Ministry
of Environment and Water to bestow national tree
status to the ghaf.”
Other campaign activities include
distribution of educational materials such as
folders, flyers and posters, media advertising,
and focus-group presentations and workshops. A
ghaf competition for UAE residents is underway,
engaging participants in developing creative elements
for the ghaf campaign.
The campaign will last two months,
ending in early February 2007 with a ghaf tree
plantation ceremony in the desert.
Save the Ghaf Tree Campaign
partners are Al Fahim (sponsor), Ogilvy One, AME
Info and Arab Media Group.
Rashmi De Roy, Communications Officer
