Date: 3/13/2018

To: Head of EAD

From: Harun Abukar
Subject: Present phenomenon of Camels and Environmental Waste in UAE
Reference: Review of camel death due to plastic ingestion in UAE
Action Required: Fulfillment of regulations to guarantee camel survival
Distribution Team: EAD Board of Directors and Researchers

Camels are one of most exceptional animals when it comes to the service of mankind, their
different populations traversing across many continents of the globe, making them a popular
animal in many civilizations. Arabian Camels have always been a major cultural symbol to
Arabs as they have been well known as a means of transportation, providing resources, and have
been used for centuries as a means of wealth. However, great numbers of these Arabian
dromedary(single-humped) camels have been dying quickly in the Arabian gulf due to the large
amounts of plastic and litter that are being tossed across the desert by tourists and natives.

This report will evaluate and determine the effects of plastics on camels in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) based on Research and will also recommend ways that the UAE can be more
sustainable with plastic use and not cause the death of hundreds of camels. This report will also
study the ineffectiveness of what has been done to combat this phenomenon in UAE to clearly
show the impacts of waste on our camels and ways to be more eco-friendly in the UAE while
conserving the number of camels in the the UAE.

Summary
In the UAE there is a lot of plastic waste that is scattered across the desert and due to camels and
other wildlife eating these items out of curiosity, it has caused hundreds of camels to die slowly.
Through scientific analysis, scientists in the UAE have determined that plastic is calcifying in the
stomachs of these camels, which tricks their stomach receptors to think they are full, when in fact
they are starving to death. Certain actions have to be made ipromptlyn order to combat the
anthropogenic effects of plastic pollution in UAE deserts that will result in a decline in abnormal
camel deaths and in vital positive impacts on the UAE desert.

Plastic, a catalyst for camel death

In the deserts of the UAE there is are plastic and trash thrown everywhere, which is harming the
livelihood and potential of camels that roam through the deserts. There are many sources of the
pollution and by determining the sources of the problem it easy to combat the problem of
innocent camel deaths and rectify it.
Sources of the problem

Is plastic the real culprit?

Yes, plastic is the real culprit when it comes to the high number of camels dying do its ingestion.
According to the research done by Dr.Ulrich Wernery, who is the scientific director at the
Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, plastic litter is the direct cause of the hundreds
of camel carcasses that lay along the Dubai Desert (Landais). As most of the plastic items and
trash that are thrown are bright in color, this attracts the camels and causes them to eat it,
mistaking it for food. Dr. Ulrich mentions that these camels ingest these plastics, which fill up
their stomachs and make it impossible for them to eat, so, the camels ultimately end up dying
out of starvation (Landais). Due to the calcification of the plastic in the stomachs of these
camels, and a block is formed in the intestines of the camel, so the camel thinks it is still full and
stops eating, thus leading to starvation and death.

Tourism - The Overall Factor

One of the main sources of the pollution that is causing hundreds of camel deaths is tourism. As
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become a more globally recognized area for tourism and
attractions, it has caused a large influx of tourists to spur into the country.

The problem is that this causes many of the tourists to not only enjoy the city life but many of
them come for the appreciation of the desert and a more traditional bedouin lifestyle. The issue
is that these tourists do not respect the desert and in the areas that they stay, they leave a lot lots
of trash scattered along the desert. They leave behind items like bags, bottles, caps, containers,
ropes and even tires(Al-Arabiya.net). The curious camels then come along and gnaw on the
plastic items that are thrown by these campers and day-trippers, thus causing a major problem,
huge phenomenon to occur which if not fixed will harm one of our most valuable resources, the
camel.

Also, As such, ttourists and locals of the UAE who litter plastic bags and the like in the cities
ends up in the desert through severe winds and sandstorms that pick them up and move them into
the desert. So while the finger is pointed at the tourists for their major input, the natives also play
a role in their deficiency in keeping the environment clean for themselves and all important
species.

Camel Research
After long and extensive research that has been performed on living and dead camels, it showed
that the plastic that is ingested by these animals is causing them to have major changes in their
diets and life threatening changes on their health. Scientists are shocked aton how this pollution
has become a major epidemic towards camels in the desert, as they have recently discovered this
problem over the past 20 years because plastic before was not as widespread (Nair).

Impact on Camels
A s lot of litter and pollution is tossed in the desert by many individuals every day, the plastic has
scattered over many parts of the desert. As the camels pass by these areas looking for vegetation
and food, they also take up and eat the plastic, which has shown to have a great effect on their
survival. As the materials that are thrown on the ground are non-organic, camels are unable to
digest them and it hardens in their stomachs causing them to die slowly and painfully.

How does Plastic Affectss Camel s Health & Livelihood

As mentioned by Al-Arabiya News, hundreds of camels die every year from ingesting plastic
bags left behind in the desert (AlArabiya.net). Many of the camels that in fact end up dying are
camel calves, due to the fact they are more curious and new to life. Thus, this is causing a decline
in camel numbers as the young are not surviving and numbers continueseem to decrease.

Impact on the Camel Ecosystems

As camels thrive in the desert , they often span far looking for vegetation and food to feed on.
Often times, people forget the importance of the ecosystem and take advantage of the wide
expanse of the desert. They might not think that their garbage will have a direct effect on wildlife
and the desert ecosystem. This fatal pollution is not only affecting camels, but it is affecting
many species of the desert ecosystem.

Conclusion
Overall, camel deaths in increasing number are caused by their ingestion of plastics, which are
thrown by locals and by tourists. While people tend to forget that the desert habitat and its
inhabitants are very fragile, they take advantage of them and end up harming them in the long
run. Through research, scientists have found that the plastic that is left in the deserts not only
have an impact on the livelihood and health of camels, but they also have an impact on the desert
ecosystem as well. If certain measures like penalties and fines are put it place among the others,
there should be a decrease in the amount of waste that is found in the desert which will lead to a
decrease in the number of abnormal camel fatalities.

ReccomendationsRecommendations
There are many actions that can be done to combat this major phenomenon of camel deaths in
the UAE. If these are actions are implemented, it will help to decrease camel fatalities that are
caused by the plastics that are left in the desert:

● Laws and regulations needshould be made so that tourists and locals take their trash with
them after their excursion to the desert. If individuals are caught leaving trash, they need
toshould be fined and penalized heavily for that.
● There has to be should be a more effective effort of going plastic free in the UAE. As
there are some efforts ts to stop using plastics, but there needs to should be a green effort
supported by the EAD - The Environmental Agency in Dubai that will help get rid of
using plastics, and push for the use more biodegradable materials like paper.
● Although there are organizations clean up the desert , by having a more frequent cleanup
efforts will help to prevent the leaving of plastic in the deserts.
● Educating locals and tourists on the effects of polluting UAE desert and the impacts it has
on wildlife and habitats. This will allow a large group of people to get educated on these
matters, thus allowing them to think twice before they litter waste again, and be a cause
to the death of camels.
References

(AlArabiya.net), DUBAI. “Plastic Bags Kill Hundreds of Camels: UAE Vet.” Alarabiya.net
English, www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/01/24/44652.html.
Irwin, Robert. Camel. ReaktionReaktion Books, 2010.
Landais, Emmanuelle. “The Price of Plastic in 'Death Valley'.” GulfNews, 24 Jan. 2008,
gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/the-price-of-plastic-in-death-valley-1.79263.
Nair, Praseeda. “Of Camels and Plastic Bags.” Khaleej Times - Dubai News, UAE News, Gulf,
News, Latest News, Abu Dhabi News, Arab News, Sharjah News, Gulf News, Dubai
Business News, UAE Business News, Dubai Sports, Live Dubai Weather, Jobs in
Dubai, UAE Classifieds, Gold Rates, Forex, Oman News, Qatar News, Bahrain
News, World Muslim Prayer Timings, Dubai Labour News, 24 Dec. 2011,
www.khaleejtimes.com/article/20111224/ARTICLE/312249985/1002.