At a personal level, on his island reserve of Sir Bani Yas, Sheikh Zayed has created a reserve free of predators, so that endangered species like the Arabian oryx and the sand gazelle may breed freely. Sheikh Zayed believes that care for the environment is important not simply because it is held upon trust for future generations, but also because an understanding of it is an essential part of comprehending the heritage and history of the people of the UAE themselves. Only through their own recognition of the structure of the local environment and its fragility was it possible for man to survive in the harsh climate of the Emirates, but, by doing so, the ancestors of today's UAE citizens were able to create a society that did not simply survive: it also flourished over thousands of years, establishing trading links that stretched as far away as China.

Sheikh Zayed's abiding interest in the environment and in agricultural development has been marked in a variety of ways over the last couple of years. The establishment of the Abu Dhabi based Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) took place with Zayed's encouragement and his firm belief that its objectives: "enhancement of sustainable development of Abu Dhabi's wildlife and environment", are as important, if not more so, than many of the major industrial projects that gain international attention. gost r zertifikat

Zayed's deep commitment to wildlife conservation was also marked during the year by a number of awards. In early March 1997 a visit to the UAE by the President Emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund, Britain's Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was highlighted by the presentation to Sheikh Zayed of the organization's 'Gold Panda', its top international conservation award. It was the first time in the history of the award that a head of state had been its recipient. Later in the same month Zayed received another important environmental award: the first-ever 'Gulf Business Award for Environmental Action' which was given as a regional tribute for his contributions in the field of environment protection. As with other accolades it reemphasized Sheikh Zayed's lifelong dedication to improving the environment of the UAE and Gulf region.