Tag Archives: south-africa
Camps Bay Property for sale
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Mamzar Beach flies flag of excellence
Mamzar Beach flies flag of excellence Sajila Saseendran / 7 July 2013 It is official now. Dubai’s Al Mamzar Beach has become the first public beach in the emirate, and the second in the country, to fly the Blue Flag, an international symbol of excellence in safety and quality. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, hoisted the Blue Flag at Al Mamzar Beach Park on Saturday morning. Though two public beaches operated by the Dubai Municipality — Al Mamzar and Jumeirah Open Beach — have already received the coveted status awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the hoisting of the Blue Flag took place first in Al Mamzar. Dubbed the world’s biggest eco-label, the flag will be flown on the Jumeirah Open Beach in the coming days. Lootah said the Blue Flag is one of the benchmarks in the field of environment protection, cleanliness and safety which the civic body has committed to excel in. “The programme increases the chances of sustainable environmental development, the concept of eco-tourism and attracting more tourists to the country, highlighting what we are doing to protect the environment.” A mock drill of lifeguards and paramedics rescuing a drowning swimmer was conducted as part of the educational activities arranged at the beach. Officials distributed environmental awareness materials as well. Otherwise seen in Emirati attire, Lootah sported beachwear and swam over to the deep side of the shore to check in person the measures in place. The international quality mark is awarded to beaches and marinas which comply with 32 high standards in water quality, environmental education, eco-friendly management, and safety and services, said Mohammed Al Noori, Director of the Corporate Marketing and Relations Department. “It was a challenging job to meet certain criteria at the Jumeirah Open Beach, the entry to which is not restricted through a park, unlike in Mamzar,” said Al Noori, who also heads the Environment Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) with which the municipality had collaborated to carry out the Blue Flag programme. Complying with the prerequisites of the Blue Flag, the municipality has strengthened the safety measures and services for the beach users. According to Head of Public Parks Mohammed Al Fardan, eight lifeguards are now on duty at Al Mamzar Beach and three at Jumeirah Open Beach. “We have already fixed 50 beach parasols and 10 showers in Mamzar. We will increase the numbers as we are expecting more visitors due to the Blue Flag status,” he said. Access to people with special needs is another criterion met by the Blue Flag beaches, the water quality of which must fully comply with set standards. The ban on barbecuing and walking pets on the beaches are also strictly observed to maintain the status. If the criteria are not fulfilled during the season or the conditions change, the Blue Flag may be withdrawn. To date, 3,203 beaches and 646 marinas are awarded the Blue Flag worldwide, according to the website of the Blue Flag programme which completed 25 years in 2012. In total, 60 countries have been granted the Blue Flag, including Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, Jordan and the UAE. The UAE is the first and only country in the GCC to have Blue Flag beaches and marinas. So far, eight beaches and four marinas in the country have become eligible to fly the prestigious symbol of safety and standards. Most of them are private properties. Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach was the first public beach to fly the Blue Flag in the UAE. sajila@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Obama heads to South Africa with Mandela on his mind
Obama heads to South Africa with Mandela on his mind (Reuters) / 28 June 2013 US President Barack Obama heads to South Africa on Friday hoping to see ailing icon Nelson Mandela, after wrapping up a visit to Senegal that focused on improving food security and promoting democratic institutions. Obama is in the middle of a three-country tour of Africa that the White House hopes will compensate for what some view as years of neglect by the administration of America’s first black president. Before departing Dakar, Obama was scheduled to meet with farmers and local entrepreneurs to discuss new technologies that are helping farmers and their families in West Africa, one of the world’s poorest and most drought-prone regions. But it was Mandela, the 94-year-old former South African president who is clinging to life in a Pretoria hospital, who will dominate the president’s day even before he arrives in Johannesburg. Asked on Thursday whether Obama would be able to pay Mandela a visit, the White House said that was up to the family. “We are going to completely defer to the wishes of the Mandela family and work with the South African government as relates to our visit,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters in Senegal. “Whatever the Mandela family deems appropriate, that’s what we’re focused on doing in terms of our interaction with them.” Obama sees Mandela, also known as Madiba, as a hero. Whether they are able to meet or not, officials said his trip would serve largely as a tribute to the anti-apartheid leader. “I’ve had the privilege of meeting Madiba and speaking to him. And he’s a personal hero, but I don’t think I’m unique in that regard,” Obama said on Thursday. “If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we’ll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages.” The president arrives in South Africa on Friday evening and has no public events scheduled. He could go to the hospital then. Obama is scheduled to visit Robben Island, where Mandela spent years in prison, later during his trip. On Friday morning, Obama will take part in a “Feed the Future” event on food security. That issue, along with anti-corruption measures and trade opportunities for US companies, are topics the White House wants to highlight on Obama’s tour. Obama, who has been in office since 2009, has only visited Africa once in his presidential tenure: a short trip to Ghana at the beginning of his first term. While acknowledging that Obama has not spent as much time in Africa as people hoped, the administration is eager to highlight what it has done, in part to end unflattering comparisons to accomplishments of predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Food security and public aid are two of the issues the Obama team believes are success stories. “Africa has seen a steady and consistent increase in our overall resource investment each year that we’ve been in office,” said Raj Shah, head of USAID. “And sustaining that in this political climate has required real trade-offs to be made in other areas, but we’ve done that.” Continue reading
