ALL of Instagram and social media joined the GDN in celebrating the announcement that Buhair Valley would be preserved as a nature reserve.
First off, I would like to congratulate all the activists who have worked tirelessly to bring attention to this cause over the last seven years.
Bahrain is lucky to have such vocal supporters of the kingdom’s natural assets.
That being said, call me sceptical but I think this is merely a stop-gap in the grand scheme of things. Bahrain seems to be on an unstoppable push towards becoming an island-sized mall, and although one heritage site here and there might get a reprieve, this is simply not enough.
What we need is a national task force which is empowered to not just preserve these sites but also restore them and find ways to integrate them into Bahrain’s Vision 2030.
An example would be the umpteen houses that have been built overseas around existing trees and natural structures. These countries and communities do not just cordon off one natural site and submit it to be added to the Unesco World Heritage Site list.
Instead, they find ways to make these living historical exhibits a daily part of their citizen’s lives, so they are never forgotten.
There are Bahrainis who are trying to do this, of course, by reusing old wood that washes up on the shore to create furniture and artistic pieces, and turning our rapidly depleting limestone into benches along the beach.
But a task force dedicated to this could find ways of still keeping this heritage accessible, and also seeing if sacrificing certain natural sites is worth the perpetual push towards the ‘mall-inising’ of this beautiful island.
For now, I will find a small bit of happiness in the Wadi Al Buhair victory and hope against hope that preservation like this is the rule not the exception as we come together as a country to build the future of this beautiful nation, while preserving its storied history.
A future Mall-Wood visitor
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