How the sight of limitless ocean makes one lose oneself in wordless reverence! I climb over a sandbank in Khor Kalba, leaving the sluggish mangrove-laced tidal creeks behind and then, suddenly, get the stunning view of an expanse of blue - Gulf of Oman. For a fleeting moment I am transported to another coastal wetland system that I would visit now and again - Chilika Lake, located in the eastern India state of Orissa. Chilika is a lagoon and, like Khor Kalba, a sand ridge shelters it from the open sea, in this case, the Bay of Bengal. I remember clambering over the casurina-clothed sand spit from the placid lagoon. And, all at once, looking upon a most dramatic spectacle - the raging ocean and a beach so pristine, it stirs the senses. Chilika is designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It supports the largest congregations of migratory birds on the Indian subcontinent and is also famed for its fishery resources, in particular, prawns. Some years ago, a private company set up an intensive shrimp farming project there. This being a highly polluting operation, environmentalists were up in arms, particularly because the country has an obligation to maintain the ecological character of its listed Ramsar Sites. As environmentalists threatened to drag the matter to court, the company hastily withdrew its shrimp farming project from Chilika.

Cyan waters of the Gulf of Oman that hurl sand, pebbles and seashells on to a sandy ridge. Creeks meandering lazily, their muddy banks alive with crabs and other living creatures. A gash of green mangroves that spread their air breathing roots all around them. And a stretch of native thorn trees against a backdrop of grayish blue and purple mountains. Such is the diversity of habitats at Khor Kalba.

The Kalba mangroves - Avicennia marina - are the tallest (8 metres), and

Khor Kalba mangroves (Click to view larger picture)

most extensive stand of mature mangrove in the country. Many have hollow trunks, providing nesting spaces for birds. Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems, vital for their role in providing breeding, nursery and feeding grounds for several fish, invertebrate and plant species besides protecting the coastline from storm damage and erosion, while trapping sediments washed off the land. It is very likely that the large numbers of small fishes found offshore at Khor Kalba are because of the mangroves. That's why the site attracts impressive concentrations of fish-eating birds - gulls, terns, egrets, herons, kingfishers osprey and others - that feed on fry escaping from the creeks and the discards of fishing operations.

But the species that this habitat is most famous for are two extremely rare birds - the white-collared kingfisher Halcyon chloris (also known as mangrove kingfisher) and the booted warbler (Hippolais caligata). Khor Kalba is the only place in the world where the resident, endemic kalbaensis subspecies of the white-collared kingfisher breeds, nesting in hollows of old mangrove trees. At a maximum of 55 breeding pairs, this has got to be one of the rarest birds in the world. As the tide falls, these kingfishers can be spotted feeding on crabs that abound on the exposed mud flats.

More Khor Kalba mangroves (Click to view larger picture)

Booted warbler is the other species for which Khor Kalba is critically important. In all of Arabia, this is the only site where it is known to breed (the subspecies breeding here is Hippolais caligata rama). The estimated breeding population, 5 - 20 pairs, is so small that, should this habitat degrade, it faces a significant risk of extinction and loss of the breeding species from Arabia. The booted warbler nests in fairly young mangroves, possibly selecting those that have been grazed by camels because these have dense foliage nearer the ground.

A wide variety of bird species breed, winter and visit Khor Kalba on migration. It is the only regular wintering site in the UAE for the Indian pond heron Ardeola grayii, and a globally important passage and wintering area for sooty gull Larus hemprichii with up to 2000 birds observed, representing a significant proportion of the world population. With some 57 bird species having been recorded in recent years, Khor Kalba is regarded as one of the country's premier wildlife sites. It is hardly surprising that Birdlife International lists this exceptional wetland ecosystem as an Important Bird Area (IBA) site, globally important for certain threatened species or subspecies of breeding or visiting bird populations.

The site is, however, under enormous pressure from a number of sources

Air-breathing roots of mangroves peeping out from the mudbanks (Click to view larger picture)

including urban encroachment (construction of houses), commercial fishing and unrestrained recreation. The surface of the sandy ridge between the sea and mangrove creek, for instance, is so gashed with four wheel drive tracks that these have all but obliterated the diverse flora that once existed. And so compacted is the sand that crabs, polychaete worms and other invertebrate life face a survival threat. Shrubby herbs, sedges, grasses and annuals are dying out, and litter (plastic bags, what else?) makes an unsightly presence even on weekdays.

Fishing is not permitted in the mangrove creeks, but along the shoreline it goes on through the year. Every night, one-km long seine

Camels grazing on mangroves on the Kalba townside of the Khor (Click to view larger picture)

nets are cast in a gigantic horseshoe, pulled out to sea by boats. Each net is then hauled in from both ends, first by boats and, later, by four-wheel drive vehicles on the beach. They bring in large quantities of small fish, the bulk being sardines and anchovies. Several other fish species come in as bycatch and these are dumped, some being consumed by gulls.

If Khor Kalba is allowed to deteriorate, a prized habitat will be lost. One that is a bird haven and critical for the survival of some species. One in which you walk through the oldest mangrove woodland alive with the trills, cheeps, warble and twitter of wild birds. Watch whole mud banks in motion as mud crabs and fiddler crabs scuttle across these, and kingfishers alight to grab them. Gaze at the sunset over the beach dunes and hear the unmistakable call of the red wattled lapwing from somewhere in the distance. One you want to escape into from the rough and tumble of city life.

Millenium can collection Of 23 schools that participated in the Emirates Environmental Group's (EEG) year-long can collection campaign, which culminated on 28 May 2000, only one was from Sharjah and two from Abu Dhabi. Schools in both places had been consistently complaining about the absence of recycling facilities in their emirates. It was in response to such complaints that the EEG made a special effort to run the campaign in these two emirates (along with Dubai of course). But by their low levels of participation, what Abu Dhabi and Sharjah schools have missed is an opportunity to unequivocally demonstrate to the authorities, institutions, and the public at large that there is need for recycling facilities to be set up. That it matters to schools. And that they - students, teachers, other staff and their families - would support such a move, both by actively collaborating in collection and in spreading the message. If there are recycling amenities in Dubai, it is in no small measure to a sustained crusade by the EEG, the willing support of schools and certain other segments of society. Over time, companies, the municipal authorities and members of the public have got involved. That is why, today, there are segregated waste collection centres throughout the city, recycling operations by companies and Dubai Municipality's 'Target 555' waste reduction campaign. Over the last decade EEG has spearheaded drives for collection of paper, cans, plastics and glass; given talks on the subject in educational institutions; conducted locality-specific projects (e.g., Al Ghusais); prepared and distributed literature; participated in exhibitions; and held many other public awareness events. All through, schools have steadfastly joined in the campaigns. May be Sharjah and Abu Dhabi schools will be more enthusiastic conservation partners the next time round.

Green Clothing By demonstrating their concern for the environment with the adoption of cleaner materials and processes, some prominent fashion houses are not only appearing socially responsible to consumers, they are also playing a role in highlighting the ecological impacts of clothing throughout its lifecycle. This is something that the general public is, by and large, ignorant about. Certain companies have successfully made the progression to sustainable materials and production processes, while boosting sales and profits. California-based Patagonia, for example, switched completely to organic cotton in 1996, after an extensive life-cycle analysis of its raw materials brought to light the environmental degradation inflicted by conventionally cultivated cotton - the pesticide and chemical fertiliser usage and their effects on water tables, land wildlife and human health. It was also the first company to start using recycled plastic, melted down and spun into fibres, for making lingerie. In addition, it took the lead in doing away with damaging finishing dyes such as formaldehyde. Patagonia continues to find and develop high-performance, low-input materials. Besides, it has sustained its profits and is reputed to give a percentage of these to environmental groups.

WHAT ON EARTH CAN WE DO? Always demonstrate our support for recycling by participating in waste collection campaigns. Besides practicing it in our own homes and work places.

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