Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of life below water, focusing on oceans, seas, and marine resources. In Dubai, a coastal city with a significant reliance on marine resources and a thriving maritime industry, the preservation of life below water is crucial for ecological balance and sustainable development.
Life Below Water in Dubai:
Dubai’s coastline along the Arabian Gulf is home to diverse marine ecosystems, and its waters support a range of economic activities, including shipping, fishing, and tourism. The Dubai government recognizes the importance of marine conservation and has implemented various initiatives to protect its marine environment.
CUD’s Commitment to SDG 14:
The Canadian University Dubai (CUD) plays a role in advancing SDG 14, both within its campus and in the wider Dubai community. Here’s how CUD is contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of life below water:
Campus Initiatives:
Environmental Education: CUD integrates marine and environmental education into its curriculum, raising awareness about the importance of marine conservation among students and fostering a sense of responsibility for life below water.
Sustainability Practices: The university implements sustainability practices on its campus, such as reducing single-use plastics, conserving water, and minimizing waste generation to prevent pollution of marine environments.
Community Engagement:
Marine Conservation Workshops: CUD may organize workshops, seminars, and beach cleanup events that focus on marine conservation, marine biodiversity, and sustainable fishing practices. These events are open to students and the general community.
Collaboration with NGOs: The university collaborates with local environmental organizations and NGOs dedicated to marine conservation, supporting their initiatives and participating in research and conservation projects.
Awareness Campaigns: CUD conducts awareness campaigns and public lectures that address marine conservation topics, educating the community about the importance of preserving life below water.
Research and Innovation: CUD’s faculty and researchers engage in marine-related research projects, contributing valuable insights into the challenges facing marine ecosystems in the region and potential solutions.
Through its educational programs, community engagement efforts, and research contributions, CUD supports SDG 14 by raising awareness about marine conservation, promoting sustainable practices, and actively participating in initiatives aimed at protecting and preserving life below water. The university plays a role in Dubai’s commitment to the sustainable use of marine resources and the conservation of its coastal ecosystems.
Marine Environment & Fisheries Sustainability
The marine and coastal environment of the UAE holds great importance in terms of economic, social and environmental aspects. It encompasses the majority of the population and biodiversity, most economic and social activities are held there, and it is an essential source of oil production, desalination and fishing, and a major artery for trade with the outside world.
In line with this importance, the marine and coastal environment in the UAE has received special attention. Various efforts have been made by specialized authorities to protect the marine environment and its resources, including issuing and implementing laws and regulations to protect it from pollution, regulate activities in the marine environment or the coastal strip and establish marine protected areas for the conservation and development of biodiversity.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in collaboration with its partners in the public and private sectors, continues to work towards greater protection of the marine and coastal environment and the preservation of its vital role through implementing the principles of the integrated management of the marine and coastal environment.
Marine Wonder
Marine Wonder is a marine rehabilitation and educational centre which promotes learning, interaction with marine animals and also serves as a health clinic for them. The focus of Marine Wonder is to raise awareness of the relationship between humankind and the oceans in the current changing world. The project is inspired by organically curved and dynamic traces of the ocean tides. Through a wide variety of encounters and activities, each visitor experiences the recreational, educational and several aquariums and types of marine biology. Water tanks and the theme of water and the ocean with scintillating shapes incorporated into the design provides the feel of surrounded by water. The main goal is to spread awareness of the importance of preserving water and marine organisms and to find solutions to the water pollution problem. The centre aims to create an environment, entertainment, and educational place at the same time creating a new type of experience in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Earth Day
Under the subject, “Protect our Species,” CUD’s H3 Club organized the annual Earth Day on campus.
The aim of the event was to raise awareness & educate students about the importance of the Reduce, Re-use and Re-cycle initiative and addressed issues surrounding sustainability and environmental protection and consisted of various presentations, food stalls, challenges, games, raffles which was both entertaining and educational.
Several external organizations took part and there were several booths aimed at supporting “up cycling” or improving and reusing unneeded things.
Students were requested to bring unneeded, light-colored t-shirts (for tie-dyeing), broken electronics, empty batteries and plastic water bottles. The bottles entitled the students to raffle tickets, the winners receiving prizes.
Initiatives made by the university were announced to raise awareness in society about how plastids affect marine life, causing not only pollution but also a decrease in fishing, sick animals and therefore an impact on health and the economy.
Environment Day
Environmental Health Management Students provides some insightful comments on the importance of caring about environmental safety every day instead of just during this special season.
Dr Albert Fakhoury, Director, Sustainability, and Innovation Center at Canadian University Dubai will share his insights on this topic. For being an environmental activist apart from his roles as World renowned architect and reputable academe, Dr. Albert works closely with the United Nations on important environmental files related to the implementation and advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs worldwide.
Science Workshop
The increase in modern computational power and availability of data have propelled Data Science to the forefront of technological revolution. It is being rapidly adopted in almost every aspect of life including business, engineering, and medicine.
This workshop is aimed to bring together stakeholders from Academia and Industry to discuss theoretical aspects and practical applications in Data Science and Machine Learning.
Machine Learning Models for Marine Environment, is one of the most important topics of the event, since it talks about processes using modern technology to control and monitor marine life, in the face of polluting problems such as oil leaks or contamination with chemical agents, in this way so that government entities can carry out actions quickly and efficiently.
Canadian University Dubai partners with PepsiCo to cut plastic waste through the Aquafina Water Stations
Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has partnered with global Foods and Beverages company, PepsiCo, to help promote environmental sustainability through the reduction of single-use plastic on campus. The collaboration aims to encourage a culture of refill and reuse through the Aquafina Water Station, a new hydration platform that has already saved an average of more than 1,800 bottles per week since installation.
As part of the agreement, CUD has become an early adopter of the Aquafina Water Stations, enabling the university community to reuse plastic and minimize associated waste. During the first six weeks of operation, the three installations have helped save a total of 11,090 plastic bottles, 109,502 ounces of water, and the equivalent of 14 planted trees. The platform also measures the prevention of carbon dioxide emissions and has helped eliminate over 865Kg of emissions so far.
This process of recycling and less waste of water helps in the process of caring for marine life that is affected by the disposal of bottles and bags in the oceans. In addition to taking care of the water that is an indispensable source of life for UAE.