This year, a project has been initiated to plant 10,000 mangrove trees across the UAE.
It is also a part of the country’s commitment to planting 100 million by 2030. Hence, the initiative will start with 10,000 mangrove trees featured in the 51st National Day celebration.
They will be cultivated across different locations in the seven emirates by the end of the year.
As per a pledge made at Cop27, under the guidance of the Organising Committee of the 51st National Day Celebrations, the project aims to support the UAE’s goal of planting 100 million mangroves by 2030.
Eisa Al Sabousi, project head of the Year of Sustainability, told The National that,
“Today for Tomorrow is the UAE Year of Sustainability slogan, which aims to inspire cooperative action while promoting positive behavioral change, ensuring a culture of raising sustainability awareness regarding the significance of preserving the environment for future generations.”
Mr. Al Sabousi also stated that the project would entangle different activities and public events throughout the year, encouraging people to take simple steps in their daily lives to have a positive effect on the environment, like reducing single-use plastic, switching to eco-friendly products, keeping our beach and environment clean, consuming resources responsibly and conserving our biodiversity”.
More than 2,000 participants have signed up to participate, and there are 10 confirmed planting scheduled for this year, including events in Abu Dhabi and Ajman.
The project was started after the declaration made by President Sheikh Mohammed that 2023 would be the ” Year of Sustainability.”
Mangroves are essential to the UAE’s ecosystem and reduce carbon emissions, providing critical natural habitats for baby fish and other sea creatures. The trees protect the UAE’s coasts from rising sea levels and storms.
The Emirates is already home to 60 million mangroves that form forests spanning 183 square kilometers and capture around 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly.
Cultivating 100 million mangroves will increase the coverage to 483 square kilometers, with the forests capturing around 115,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
Earlier this year, drones sprinkled one million mangrove seedlings over different sites in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region.
The seed-firing drives took to the skies as part of the first stage of a drone mangrove plantation project that helps the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative.
