Eye on Earth Summit now underway

Under the leadership of Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the board of trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, the second Eye on Earth Summit is underway at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi; the event began Oct. 6 and will run through Oct. 8, and this year's theme is “Informed Decision-Making for Sustainable Development” and focuses on the part governments, technology, the scientific community and citizen participation play in improving access to quality data about worldwide resources.

The event was also led by President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who spoke about the United Arab Emirates' governments' dedication to turning the country into a global hub and model for green economy and sustainable development.

The event was attended by more than 650 delegates from various government agencies, United Nations organizations, the private sector, academic and civil facilities.

The first summit took place in 2011; since then, the event has received support from 48 countries.

“Sustainable growth and development is the only way forward," HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, secretary general of Abu Dhabi's Environment Agency, said.