(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A total of 864kg of construction and plastic waste has been removed from the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, thanks to a clean up campaign by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD).

The campaign titled 'Together We Make the Difference', was launched last year, and under its banner, more than a hundred of EAD's employees last week cleaned the area outside the boundaries of Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, the only site in the UAE that the Greater Flamingo breeds regularly.

The four-hour clean-up resulted in the removal of 864kg of waste, mainly construction waste and plastic and glass from the nearby workers accommodation.

Al Wathba Wetland Reserve was designated as a reserve in 1998 by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

"Since then EAD has been managing the reserve and keeping the area inside and outside the boundaries of the reserve clean. This will positively reflect on preserving the environment of this important nature reserve, which supports a rich variety of wildlife, including 320 species of invertebrates, 10 mammals, 16 reptiles, 260 species of birds, and 35 species of plants," said Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, executive director, terrestrial and marine biodiversity at the EAD.

She added: "The reserve, which consists of several different habitats, including a fresh water lake, saline lakes, tall reed marshes, gravel plains, sand dunes and Sabkha, was designated in 2013 as the first Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Abu Dhabi Emirate, gaining international recognition and protection."

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