US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI1788

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001788 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR OES, NEA 
DEPT ALSO FOR OES/PCI, NEA/EX, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARPI 
AMMAN FOR ESTH/JWHITTLESEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, TBIO, KSCA, TC 
SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL ESTH HUB IN OMAN 
 
REF: A) 04 MUSCAT 274 B) SANAA 918 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  EMBASSY ABU DHABI STRONGLY 
SUPPORTS ESTABLISHING A REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT, 
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND HEALTH HUB OFFICE IN OMAN TO 
PROVIDE PROGRAMMATIC AND POLICY SUPPORT TO THE UAE 
AND THE WIDER GULF REGION.  THE ENHANCED EXPERTISE 
AND EXPERIENCE OF THE HUB OFFICE WOULD ALLOW THE U.S. 
TO DEEPEN ITS TRADE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS IN THE 
UAE, AS WELL AS TO ENCOURAGE GREATER REGIONAL 
SCIENTIFIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION, 
PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION, 
WATER RESERVES AND MANAGEMENT, AND GULF-RELATED 
ISSUES OF OVERFISHING, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND OFFSHORE 
CONSTRUCTION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------- 
TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
---------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) THE U.S. AND THE UAE ARE CURRENTLY 
NEGOTIATING A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT THAT CONTAINS A 
CHAPTER ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND A MEMORANDUM OF 
UNDERSTANDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION.  WE WILL 
NEED A WAY TO ENCOURAGE THE UAEG TO ENFORCE ITS 
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS EFFECTIVELY.  MORE 
COOPERATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, SCIENTIST 
EXCHANGES, AND INFORMATION SHARING WOULD GREATLY 
ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION GOALS OF AN 
FTA, AND A OMAN-BASED ESTH HUB OFFICE WOULD PLAY AN 
IMPORTANT ROLE IN FURNISHING THE EXPERTISE AND 
RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THIS ENHANCED COOPERATION. 
 
------------------- 
ENERGY CONSUMPTION 
------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) PER CAPITA ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN THE UAE IS 
AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.  THE WORLD WILDLIFE 
FEDERATION'S 2004 LIVING PLANET REPORT LISTED THE UAE 
AS THE COUNTRY WITH THE LARGEST ECOLOGICAL IMPACT PER 
CAPITA, PRIMARILY FOR THE SIGNIFICANT AREA OF LAND 
REQUIRED TO ABSORB THE CO2 WASTE FROM FOSSIL FUELS. 
RESIDENTS USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER 
TO REGULATE TEMPERATURE (THROUGH AIR CONDITIONING IN 
THE EXTREME HEAT OF SUMMER).  THE FAST PACE OF 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED 
ELECTRICITY AND WATER ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HIGH PER 
CAPITA ENERGY CONSUMPTION. 
 
------------------------------ 
WATER RESERVES AND MANAGEMENT 
------------------------------ 
 
4.  (SBU) THE UAE IS LARGELY A DESERT COUNTRY, AND AS 
SUCH, ITS GROUND WATER RESERVES ARE ONE OF ITS MOST 
IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ALSO PARTICULARLY 
VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION.  THE UNITED STATES 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAS BEEN OPERATING IN THE EMIRATE 
OF ABU DHABI SINCE 1991, MAINTAINING WELLS AND 
COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA ON FRESH WATER GROUND 
RESERVES.  MAJOR STRESSES ON WATER RESERVES INCLUDE 
THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR, THE FORESTRIES PROGRAM, AND 
EXCESSIVE WATER USAGE.  ALTHOUGH THE UAEG IS 
REVIEWING THESE PROGRAMS, IT NEEDS TO IMPROVE ITS 
MANAGEMENT OF GROUND WATER RESERVES. 
 
5.  (SBU) NEARLY ALL OF THE WATER PRODUCED IN THE UAE 
IS DESALINATED SEAWATER.  THERE IS NO STRATEGIC 
RESERVE OF GROUND WATER OR DESALINATED WATER IN THE 
UAE, A POTENTIAL SECURITY CONCERN.  THERE IS ONLY 
ENOUGH DESALINATED WATER IN THE PIPELINE TO SUPPLY 
ABOUT 3 DAYS OF WATER.  THE UAE NEEDS TO DO MORE 
STUDY INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACT OF 
DESALINATED WATER OVER THE LONG TERM.  ANOTHER KEY 
AREA NEEDING MORE STUDY IS THE SCIENTIFIC EFFECTS OF 
AQUIFER RECHARGING USING DESALINATED WATER.  AS THE 
NUMBER OF DESALINATION PLANTS CONTINUES TO INCREASE, 
CONTINUAL MONITORING OF THE IMPACT OF THE PLANTS 
THEMSELVES ON THE SEA (IN TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY) 
IS NEEDED. 
 
------------------------------- 
SUSTAINABLE HEALTH OF THE GULF 
------------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) OVERFISHING OF MARINE STOCKS IN THE PERSIAN 
GULF IS ANOTHER KEY ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY.  CLIMATE 
CHANGE IN THE GULF ALSO HAS AN IMPACT ON THE MARINE 
STOCKS.  LIKE MANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE 
UAE, OVERFISHING HAS A SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT SINCE 
MANY OF THE FISHERMEN ARE AMONG THE POOREST EMIRATI 
NATIONALS.  PRESERVING THE INDUSTRY ALSO HAS CULTURAL 
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE RAPIDLY CHANGING POPULATION. 
 
7.  (SBU) FOUR HUGE OFFSHORE PROJECTS IN DUBAI HAVE 
STARTED CAUSING SOME CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL 
HEALTH OF THE PERSIAN GULF, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT 
TERM, AND SOME ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONCERNED RESIDENTS 
HAVE BEGUN RAISING CONCERNS.  THE PALM ISLAND 
JUMEIRAH, A BILLION-DOLLAR-PLUS ARTIFICIAL ISLAND IN 
THE SHAPE OF A PALM TREE HAS REDUCED VISIBILITY, 
AFFECTED THE UNDERWATER FAUNA, AND EVEN CHANGED THE 
WATER FLOWS IN ITS VICINITY.  THE ENVIRONMENTAL 
IMPACT STUDIES FOR THIS PROJECT INDICATE THAT THESE 
NEGATIVE EFFECT WILL BE SHORT-TERM, AND THAT 
EVENTUALLY THE VISIBILITY WILL INCREASE AND THE FAUNA 
WILL BECOME MORE DIVERSIFIED THAN BEFORE.  THE CHANGE 
IN WATER FLOWS HAS LED TO MORE BEACH EROSION, BUT THE 
DEVELOPERS ARE TAKING STEPS TO PREVENT THIS, 
INCLUDING BY BUILDING PROTECTIVE BARRIERS.  TWO OTHER 
PALM ISLANDS, AND 593,000 SQUARE FEET OF ARTIFICIAL 
ISLANDS CALLED THE WORLD, ARE ALSO PLANNED OR UNDER 
CONSTRUCTION. 
 
--------- 
COMMENT 
-------- 
 
8.  (SBU) ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION BETWEEN 
THE U.S. AND UAE WILL HELP ADVANCE U.S. POLICY GOALS 
ON FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS AND ENHANCE REGIONAL 
COOPERATION IN THE GULF.  AN ESTH HUB IN OMAN WILL BE 
ABLE TO INTEGRATE MANY ISSUES AFFECTING THE ENTIRE 
GULF REGION, SUCH AS ENERGY CONSUMPTION, DESALINATION 
AND WATER MANAGEMENT AND THE SUSTAINABLE HEALTH OF 
THE GULF.  BY LEVERAGING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCREASING LINKS BETWEEN U.S. 
AND UAE SCIENTISTS, UNIVERSITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS, 
AND BY PROVIDING THE TIME AND EXPERTISE ON THESE 
COMPLICATED ISSUES, AN ESTH HUB IN OMAN WILL FURTHER 
U.S. POLICY GOALS AND IMPROVE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE 
U.S. AND THE UAE. 
 
SISON