Guardians of the desert

As the National Day holiday approaches, many families are making excited plans to reconnect with Nature through the annual ritual of camping. For Bahrainis, desert camping is a celebration of the Bedouin heritage that runs in our blood and for the past 20th century generation, it is a very different experience than it was for their forefathers. Gone are the sheepskin tents and the search for oasis that would provide water and trees to shelter from desert winds. Today, thanks to technology and modern comforts, we have easy to set up durable tents made of tough plastic and even separate toilet facilities and our food and water is just a plastic bottle and a takeaway drive away. The government has really invested in the Sakhir desert camping area with dedicated campsite facilities - yet, many people prefer the thrill of setting up their own campsites to enjoy the adventure better. This is a great experience and one that everybody must be encouraged to participate in. However, along with taking the best that Nature has to offer, we must also respect the desert surroundings. May people assume that because the outward appearance of the camp sites is full of sand dunes and just a few small shrubs, tis is an empty space that they can leave behind their garbage in.

And so, we always find that campsites are full of discarded plastic and cans and bottles, old carpets after a week end of revelry – even toilet bowls are left behind. Rule No. #1 for a respectful approach to camping is to never leave behind anything you have brought. Rule No. #2 is to never bring anything that will threaten the delicate eco-system of the desert. Single-use plastic like bags and cutlery and water bottles are the biggest culprits but if you leave them behind everything – even food that decomposes and attracts vermin – becomes an environmental burden. Of course, it is impossible for us to enjoy camping without what we consider basic comforts and these require us to bring along many of these elements. How can we make our camping experience greener? We can start by taking reusable crockery and ditching the plastic, avoiding the uprooting of any shrubs to level the ground and most importantly, taking back used items and disposing them carefully in designated garbage points. Finally, do remember that the desert is teeming with Nature – arid-zone creatures, insects and plants that are vital to the environment. It is as precious to the planet as the Amazon rainforest and the oceans. And we are its guardians.