DEWA’s Climate Change Ambassadors meet Consul General of Peru in the UAE ahead of expedition to Amazon Rainforest in Peru

Saturday 21 May 2016

Dubai - MENA Herald: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s Amazon Rainforest expedition team met Carlos Tavera, Consul General of Peru in the UAE, as part of preparations for their trip to Peru. The expedition will run for 12 days and will focus on 3 specific areas in Peru. These include the desert coast, the cloud forests of the Andes, and the lowland rainforest. The expedition aims to study the effects of climate change on biodiversity, ecosystems, and the inhabitants of the Amazon. Peru was the destination of choice because of the clearly-visible effects of climate change within the Amazonian rainforest. During the meeting, Tavera taught the expedition members about the different cultures in Peru, and commended DEWA’s efforts and the enthusiasm of the members ahead of their expedition, joining the international community in efforts to face climate change.
“DEWA’s expedition to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest is part of our commitment to achieve the Dubai Plan 2021, and the long-term national Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make the UAE a pioneer in environmental awareness. DEWA sends employees to participate in climate change programmes around the world annually, as part of its Climate Change Champions programme. This supports our vision to become sustainable innovative world-class utility,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
Al Tayer noted the clear correlation between the health of the Amazon and the health of the planet. The rainforests absorbs about 90 to 140 billion metric tons of carbon, which help stabilise local and global climate. Al Tayer stressed that deforestation may release significant amounts of this carbon, which could have catastrophic consequences around the world.
“Peru is one of the 17 recognised most-diverse countries in the world. However, our rich biodiversity is greatly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which is why the Peruvian government has presented a national plan of action and, among others, implemented state policies to benefit awareness regarding environmental protection and increased participation in international conferences about environmental issues such as the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP) on Climate Change, that took place in Lima, Peru in December 2014. We are pleased to see the interest of the United Arab Emirates in learning more about the Peruvian reality and experiences, especially in the framework of the commemoration of 30 years of diplomatic relations. We hope that the DEWA delegation traveling to our country enjoys their time getting to know Peru,” said Tavera.
DEWA will send several of its employees on an expedition to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru on 9 May 2016. The expedition was planned based on the success of DEWA’s last expedition to Antarctica, which was part of the 2041 International Antarctic Expedition initiative. The expedition aims to highlight the effects of global warming, raise awareness regarding the importance of preserving Antarctica and stop major companies from drilling and mining in the Antarctic, by the time the international protection protocol expires in 2041.

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