Leave No Trace: respecting UAE nature and wildlife

The UAE's deserts, mountains and mangroves are fragile: a tyre track across desert plants or a bag of rubbish can last for years. Leave No Trace is a simple set of habits that lets everyone keep enjoying wild places.

The seven principles

• The Leave No Trace Center lists seven principles: plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimise campfire impacts; respect wildlife; be considerate of other visitors.
• They apply equally to a Hatta day walk, a desert night at Al Qudra or a national park abroad.
• Think of them as good manners towards the land and the people who come after you.

What the principles look like in practice

• Use existing trails and campsites. The US National Park Service sums it up: 'good campsites are found, not made'.
• Camp at least 200 feet (about 60 metres) from lakes and streams, and wash yourself and dishes at least that far from water with small amounts of biodegradable soap (NPS).
• 'Pack it in, pack it out': take home all rubbish, food scraps and toilet paper. Where there are no toilets, the NPS says to dig a hole 6 to 8 inches (about 15 to 20 cm) deep at least 200 feet from water, camps and trails.
• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects where they are, and take photos instead of souvenirs.
• Use a stove where you can; if you light a fire where allowed, keep it small and burn it completely to ash (NPS).

Desert manners in the UAE

• Environment Agency Abu Dhabi asks desert visitors not to feed any animals, not to drive over any desert plants and to drive on existing tracks only.
• EAD also asks drivers to go carefully and slowly and not to drive through water pools.
• Pick up all your rubbish and put it in a proper bin, leaving no mess behind (EAD).
• Camp only in areas approved by authorities and avoid damaging plants or lighting fires near greenery (authorities quoted by Gulf News).

Protected areas

• According to the UAE Government portal, the country had 49 nature reserves by 2020, and 10 sites were listed as internationally important wetlands under the Ramsar Convention by 2019.
• Dubai alone has eight protected areas, including Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Hatta Mountain Reserve and the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, covering about 31 percent of the emirate (Dubai Municipality).
• Dubai's rules for protected areas prohibit disturbing or harming wildlife, removing rocks, soil or plants, introducing non-native species and polluting soil, water or air.
• Before visiting a reserve, check its own rules and opening arrangements.

Respecting wildlife

• Watch animals from a distance, never follow or approach them and never feed them (Leave No Trace / NPS).
• Store food and rubbish securely so animals are not attracted to your camp.
• If you meet a snake or scorpion, leave it alone and observe from a safe distance; a UAE herpetologist told The National that the first rule is not to try to kill it.
• On RAKTDA hiking trails, keep a distance from wildlife and from private farms, and avoid loud music and drones.

The law backs it up

• Gulf News reports that dumping, burning or burying waste outside designated areas is illegal under the federal waste management law, with fines of up to Dh30,000 for individuals.
• The same report notes that the federal environmental protection law bans damaging natural reserves, such as cutting trees or disturbing wildlife.
• RAKTDA lists littering as prohibited on its trails.
• You do not need to know every law: if you leave a place exactly as you found it, you will rarely go wrong.