` Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary Ramsar Site, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Ramsar Site No. 1715 Ramsar Advisory Mission Report 13-17 May 2017 G. Randy Milton, Robert McInnes, Keith Wilson and Lew Young ` [Page left blank for double-sided printing] ` Contents RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RAMSAR ADVISORY MISSION ................................. iv National Government ................................................................................................................. iv Dubai Municipality .................................................................................................................... iv List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... vi 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary Ramsar Site ....................................................................... 1 2.2 Site Description ..................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Development Projects Adjacent to RAKWS ........................................................................ 8 2.4 Reporting on Changes to Ecological Character .................................................................. 11 3.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE RAMSAR ADVISORY MISSION ................................................. 13 4.0 REVIEW OF EIA’S AND SITE MEETINGS WITH DEVELOPERS / PROJECT CONSULTANTS .......................................................................................................................... 15 4.1 Dubai Creek Harbour Development .................................................................................... 15 4.2 Dubai Water Canal Development ....................................................................................... 23 4.3 Dubai Healthcare City II Development ............................................................................... 27 4.4 Meydan Developments ........................................................................................................ 30 4.4.1 Meydan One .................................................................................................................... 31 4.4.2 Meydan Horizon .............................................................................................................. 32 4.4.3 Meydan Canal ................................................................................................................. 33 4.5 Festival City Expansion and Golf Residence Development ............................................... 37 4.6 Dubai Culture Village Development ................................................................................... 38 4.7 Dubai Design District .......................................................................................................... 38 4.8 The Lagoons Development – Dubai Properties Group ....................................................... 39 4.9 Ras Al Khor Visitor’s Center .............................................................................................. 40 4.10 Main Conclusions from EIA Reviews and Consultations ................................................. 41 4.11 Policy Level Challenges .................................................................................................... 44 4.11.1 National Wetland Policy ............................................................................................... 44 4.11.2 Boundary of RAKWS ................................................................................................... 45 i ` 4.11.3 Buffer Zone of RAKWS ............................................................................................... 45 4.11.4 Wetland Vulnerability Assessments ............................................................................. 48 4.11.5 Dubai Municipality Planning Guidance ........................................................................ 48 4.11.6 Data and information sharing ........................................................................................ 49 4.11.7 Understanding the efficacy of financial compensation ................................................. 49 5.0 STAKEHOLDER FORUM – IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES AND ACTIONS ............... 50 5.1 Participant Views of RAKWS Importance to Themselves and Dubai ................................ 51 5.2 SWOT Analysis................................................................................................................... 52 5.3 Identifying Actions .............................................................................................................. 53 6.0 RAMSAR CONVENTION AND IMPACTS TO DESIGNATED SITES: Adverse, Neutral or Beneficial Human-Induced Change in Ecological Character ................................................... 54 6.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 54 6.2 Proposed Meydan Canal...................................................................................................... 55 6.3 Ras Al Khor Visitor’s Centre .............................................................................................. 56 7.0 NATIONAL POLICY FOR WETLANDS ............................................................................. 57 8.0 SITE MANAGEMENT: RAS AL KHOR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY ................................ 58 8.1 Steering Committee ............................................................................................................. 60 8.2 Terms of Reference for the future operation of the RAKWS Management Steering Committee ................................................................................................................................. 61 8.3 Management Planning ........................................................................................................ 62 8.4 Monitoring ........................................................................................................................... 63 9.0 RAS AL KHOR COMMUNICATION, CAPACITY BUILDING, EDUCATION, PARTICIPATION AND AWARENESS (CEPA) ....................................................................... 65 9.1 Building a Future Leadership Role in Wetland Management ............................................. 66 10.0 ACTION PLAN .................................................................................................................... 67 11.0 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................... 68 National Government ................................................................................................................ 68 Dubai Municipality ................................................................................................................... 68 12.0 ACKNOWLDEGEMENTS .................................................................................................. 70 ANNEX 1: Request form the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to the Ramsar Secretariat requesting a Ramsar Advisory Mission for the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and Ramsar Site. ................................................................................... 71 ii ` ANNEX 2: Itinerary for the Ramsar Advisory Mission 13-17 May 2017, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ........................................................................................................................................ 72 ANNEX 3: Representatives of developments adjacent to Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and Ramsar site during meetings with the Ramsar Advisory Mission Team 14 – 16 May 2017. ...... 74 ANNEX 4: Lake Chilika Ramsar Site: Listing and Removal from the Montreux Record .......... 75 ANNEX 5: Development of the International Wetland Park and Visitor Centre, Hong Kong in mitigation for wetland loss at the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site. ..................................... 78 ANNEX 6: Buffer zone around Ramsar Sites .............................................................................. 79 ANNEX 7: Case study - Buffer zone around the Mai Po Inner Deep bay Ramsar Site, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China. ................................................................................................................ 82 ANNEX 8: Participants in the 17 May 2017 Ramsar Advisory Mission Workshop, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. .................................................................................................................. 85 ANNEX 9: Results of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunites, Threats (SWOT) exercised conducted during the 17 May 2017 Ramsar Advisory Mission Workshop, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ....................................................................................................................................... 88 ANNEX 10: Steering Committee Terms of Reference................................................................. 92 ANNEX 11: RAKWS Baseline wetland inventory and assessment. ........................................... 95 iii ` RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RAMSAR ADVISORY MISSION National Government It is highly recommended the United Arab Emirate (UAE) Ramsar Administrative Authority request the Ramsar