Despite its hot climate and harsh desert, the UAE is home to over . The waters around the country are home to the🎀 largest concentration of Indian Ocean humpbacks dolphin in the world, and the second-largest population of dugongs, after Aust𓆏ralia.
With the UAE’s president recently extending the country’s “Year of Sustainability” into 2024, Karingattil uses wildlife photography as a method of capturing the country’s biodiversity and sharing it with others. While interior design is his full-time job, “herping” is his passion. “Herping is the act of observing, studying, and photographing reptiles and amphibians in their natural habitats,” says Karingattil. “It is a popular hobby among nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers who are fascinated by the diversity and beauty of these creatures.”“By documenting the beauty and fragility of the natural world, photographers can help policymakers and the general public understand the value of protecting the environment and the need for sustainable practices,” he says. And with over on Instagram, K🦩aringattil uses social media to educate people about the species𓆉 he photographs.
Biodiversity in the UAE
The UAE has 49 terrestrial and marine protected areas, including eight in Dubai. Accounting for over 18% of the country’s land territory and 12% of its marine and coastal territory, these protected areas are often natural reserves which include all the major ecosystems found in the region: mountain, desert, coastal and marine. Andrew Gardner, associate director of Biodiversity Conservation at Emirates Nature-WWF, says wildlife conservation is recognized as an “important responsibility and obligation by the UAE.” For example, the country is a signatory to multiple international conservation conventions, such as the , and has helped reintroduce animals such as the Arabian oryx to the Arabian Peninsula. According to Gardner, there are now over 1,600 oryx in two of the UAE’s protected areas, and thousands more in zoos across the region. However, rapid development and population growth across the Emirates mean that “” are endangered, according to a government report.Karingattil points to habitat loss, climate change and overfishing as some of the major threats facing wildlife in the UAE, but one issue he🅠 thinks people should take more action against is plastic pollution.
“Whenever I explore the desert or other areas, I make it a point to clean up the surroundings,” he says. “By removing litter and debris, we can reduce the impact of human activities on the natural world.”