Lake Zakher , United Arab Emirates ( CNN ) -- In a remote corner of the United Arab Emirates , a blue lake shimmers amid the sand dunes . It 's not a mirage , but a man-made oasis -- an unintended byproduct of the UAE 's water management practices , which has sprung from the desert in recent years . Opinion is divided over this unexpected phenomenon , known locally as Lake Zakher . Huw Roberts is a university lecturer who has been an avid birdwatcher in the Gulf region for nearly two decades . `` This is one of the best sites in the UAE for birds , '' he said . `` It 's a good habitat for wintering birds and birds on passage . '' To Roberts , Lake Zakher has reliably proved something of a birdwatcher 's paradise , with herons , flamingos and stilts among the rich diversity of species drawn to this rare water source . He has been coming to the lake for seven years to photograph the birds , insects and reptiles and add them to WildlifeUAE -- his photographic inventory of nearly 600 species of the country 's wildlife . But to others , like Brigitte Howarth , an ecologist at the UAE 's Zayed University , Lake Zakher is an environmental calamity . `` This lake to me is a bit of an ecological disaster because we really do n't understand how it 's affecting all the various species that do live naturally within this environment , '' she said . `` If you suddenly create an artificial situation , where many other species benefit , it is the species that have been here for millions of years that then suffer . '' Read more : Beauty and the beast - a camel pageant in the UAE . The lake is an industrial byproduct of the desalination system used to meet the UAE 's water needs . With few sources of fresh water in the region , the country has relied on desalinating seawater for domestic use -- a technology that has been essential to the country 's growth , according to advocates . `` Desalination started here 50 years ago , '' said Corrado Sommariva , president of the International Desalination Association . `` There would n't be any development of the industry or society if there was no desalination . '' The waste water is treated and just over half reused for industrial purposes , according Mohamed Al Madfaei , executive director at the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency . But the other 45 % of recycled waste water was simply discharged at sea or released on to the land , where it had been pushing up groundwater levels , and eventually resulted in the creation of Lake Zakher . Watch : Oman banks on its history . Desalination has increased as the UAE 's population has grown , bringing with it other unwanted environmental impacts . The process is energy-intensive , and releases brine into the surrounding ocean , which has the potential to harm marine life . As a result , the government is encouraging people to reduce consumption , and put excess water to better use . `` People can reduce their water consumption , be more wise when it comes to water use , '' said Al Madfaei . `` When washing your car , instead of using a hose , maybe use a bucket . When it comes to the agriculture sector ... we are looking to reduce our consumption , and increasing the use of treated water in those areas as well . '' It 's an approach that will help improve the UAE 's environmental sustainability , but could spell the end of the already shrinking Lake Zakher , to the dismay of Roberts and his fellow birdwatchers . `` I 'd be very disappointed if Zakher Lake disappeared , '' said Roberts . `` I 'm hoping it does n't . ''
A lake has emerged amid the sand dunes in the United Arab Emirates . It is a result of recycled waste water discharged from the country 's water management system . It attracts a wide variety of wildlife , delighting birdwatchers . But desert ecologists consider the lake an environmental disaster .