
Racing Against Time: The International Call to Save the World's Mangroves
The IMCRC also highlighted Abu Dhabi's growing role as a global hub for mangrove science and restoration leadership. Through ADMI, a comprehensive programme that includes all projects and research concerned with protecting and restoring mangrove and blue carbon systems in the emirate, and under the leadership of EAD in partnership with The Global Mangrove Alliance, the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Global Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon, and other international partners, the conference underscored the urgent need to accelerate global efforts on mangrove conservation and restoration, as well as the UAE's leadership position as a centre for innovation, research and large-scale ecological restoration.
Coinciding with the International Day for the Conservation of Mangroves, which is celebrated annually to raise global awareness of the importance of these coastal ecosystems and enhance international efforts to protect and restore them, the call was renewed to unite efforts to conserve this vital resource. Mangrove forests are more than just coastal greenery – they are powerful natural shields against rising seas and storms, vital nurseries for marine life and powerful carbon sinks critical for mitigating climate change. The planet cannot afford to lose these irreplaceable ecosystems. Protecting what we have left is no longer optional – it is a global imperative.
Despite sobering warnings, the conference sparked a sense of optimism. Scientific breakthroughs, successful community-led initiatives, and a growing wave of political momentum are offering a blueprint for mangrove survival – and perhaps even a large-scale comeback.
Science-Based Mangrove Restoration:
Over the past three decades, more than one million hectares of mangroves have been lost, but experts at IMCRC emphasised that about 70 per cent of this loss, which is over 800,000 hectares of mangroves, are available for restoration globally.
At the heart of this transformation is Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR), an approach rooted in science, community engagement, and deep respect for natural processes. EMR prioritises restoring the essential ecological conditions of hydrology, soil health, and tidal flows that allow mangroves to naturally regenerate. Scientific studies confirm that nature has an innate ability to recover when the appropriate conditions are available, without the need for human intervention, but only through protecting sites or rehabilitating hydrological systems. When nature leads the way, the results are stronger forests, richer biodiversity and real resilience against climate impacts.
In this context, the importance of mangrove restoration programmes based on accurate scientific foundations emerges. These programmes are among the most prominent tools for positive intervention to accelerate the pace of environmental recovery. By selecting appropriate sites, adopting local species and applying modern agricultural techniques, these programmes contribute to the rehabilitation of damaged habitats and enhance the ability of these ecosystems to adapt to climate change and ongoing pressures.
Connecting Nature, Empowering People:
Another major outcome of the conference was the recognition that mangrove conservation cannot happen in isolation. Experts championed a coastal and seascape approach: restoring corridors from mangroves to seagrasses to coral reefs and ensuring upstream river connectivity.
Crucially, the conference placed local communities at the centre of future mangrove strategies. Across sessions, speakers echoed a simple truth: successful mangrove conservation must be by the people and for the people.
Communities who depend on mangroves for fisheries, storm protection, and livelihoods must be engaged from the start – with clear land tenure rights, capacity-building programmes, and diversified income opportunities like eco-tourism and sustainable fisheries. Mangroves and local communities are interdependent and when communities thrive, so do mangroves.
Financing the Future:
One of the stark challenges highlighted was funding. To scale up restoration to the required level for success, large and diversified investments – from governments, private companies and philanthropic organisations – must flow faster. The Mangrove Breakthrough, introduced at COP27, aims to mobilise $4 billion for mangrove protection and restoration by 2030, bridging critical gaps between policy, finance and action.
But financing must go beyond carbon credits. Delegates called for financial models that recognise the full suite of mangrove ecosystem services – from biodiversity protection to disaster risk reduction – and channel funds into long-term, science-driven, community-anchored projects.
The reality is stark: $8 trillion in investment is needed to tackle the biodiversity crisis, and annual financing for nature must quadruple by 2050. Small-scale projects alone cannot meet this challenge – scaling up investment is key.
In this context, the ADMI Partnership Programme represents a promising model. It enables organisations within and outside the emirate to collaborate on joint initiatives to rehabilitate and protect mangrove trees, enhancing their ability to have a tangible positive impact on nature, climate and society. This programme is based on a scientific approach to effectively and sustainably restore coastal areas and calls for the integration of efforts between the public and private sectors and various stakeholders.
Speakers were clear-eyed: urgent action must follow urgent words. The final message from the conference declared: 'We have the knowledge. We have the tools. What we need now is scale, speed and solidarity.'
The world has a narrow window to secure the future of mangroves. The IMCRC marked an important milestone – a rallying point for a rising global movement committed to protecting one of nature's most extraordinary, life-giving ecosystems. The race is on – but with science, community and political will aligned, the future can still be one where mangroves not only survive, but flourish.
About Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD
Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, we embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. We seek to raise environmental awareness, facilitate sustainable development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda.
About Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative:
Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative ADMI is the first of its kind in the region, launched in partnership between Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Zoological Society of London during the visit of Prince William with H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2022. Supporting global biodiversity conservation and restoration goals and the UAE's climate goals, it is establishing a Mangrove Conservation Centre of Excellence in the UAE. The initiative represents an umbrella for all coastal conservation and restoration projects locally, provides a platform for regional and international collaboration as well as encouraging necessary public-private partnerships.
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Mid East Info
a day ago
- Mid East Info
Racing Against Time: The International Call to Save the World's Mangroves
In Abu Dhabi last December, more than 300 global experts, policymakers and community leaders came together with one resounding message: we are racing against the clock to save our mangroves. At the first International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference (IMCRC), organised by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), delegates from 82 countries sounded the alarm: nearly 50 per cent of the world's mangroves are at risk of collapse by 2050 due to relentless human-driven pressures. Their interventions emphasised the need for urgent collective action to protect these vital ecosystems, rehabilitate those affected and promote sustainable management practices. The IMCRC also highlighted Abu Dhabi's growing role as a global hub for mangrove science and restoration leadership. Through ADMI, a comprehensive programme that includes all projects and research concerned with protecting and restoring mangrove and blue carbon systems in the emirate, and under the leadership of EAD in partnership with The Global Mangrove Alliance, the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Global Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon, and other international partners, the conference underscored the urgent need to accelerate global efforts on mangrove conservation and restoration, as well as the UAE's leadership position as a centre for innovation, research and large-scale ecological restoration. Coinciding with the International Day for the Conservation of Mangroves, which is celebrated annually to raise global awareness of the importance of these coastal ecosystems and enhance international efforts to protect and restore them, the call was renewed to unite efforts to conserve this vital resource. Mangrove forests are more than just coastal greenery – they are powerful natural shields against rising seas and storms, vital nurseries for marine life and powerful carbon sinks critical for mitigating climate change. The planet cannot afford to lose these irreplaceable ecosystems. Protecting what we have left is no longer optional – it is a global imperative. Despite sobering warnings, the conference sparked a sense of optimism. Scientific breakthroughs, successful community-led initiatives, and a growing wave of political momentum are offering a blueprint for mangrove survival – and perhaps even a large-scale comeback. Science-Based Mangrove Restoration: Over the past three decades, more than one million hectares of mangroves have been lost, but experts at IMCRC emphasised that about 70 per cent of this loss, which is over 800,000 hectares of mangroves, are available for restoration globally. At the heart of this transformation is Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR), an approach rooted in science, community engagement, and deep respect for natural processes. EMR prioritises restoring the essential ecological conditions of hydrology, soil health, and tidal flows that allow mangroves to naturally regenerate. Scientific studies confirm that nature has an innate ability to recover when the appropriate conditions are available, without the need for human intervention, but only through protecting sites or rehabilitating hydrological systems. When nature leads the way, the results are stronger forests, richer biodiversity and real resilience against climate impacts. In this context, the importance of mangrove restoration programmes based on accurate scientific foundations emerges. These programmes are among the most prominent tools for positive intervention to accelerate the pace of environmental recovery. By selecting appropriate sites, adopting local species and applying modern agricultural techniques, these programmes contribute to the rehabilitation of damaged habitats and enhance the ability of these ecosystems to adapt to climate change and ongoing pressures. Connecting Nature, Empowering People: Another major outcome of the conference was the recognition that mangrove conservation cannot happen in isolation. Experts championed a coastal and seascape approach: restoring corridors from mangroves to seagrasses to coral reefs and ensuring upstream river connectivity. Crucially, the conference placed local communities at the centre of future mangrove strategies. Across sessions, speakers echoed a simple truth: successful mangrove conservation must be by the people and for the people. Communities who depend on mangroves for fisheries, storm protection, and livelihoods must be engaged from the start – with clear land tenure rights, capacity-building programmes, and diversified income opportunities like eco-tourism and sustainable fisheries. Mangroves and local communities are interdependent and when communities thrive, so do mangroves. Financing the Future: One of the stark challenges highlighted was funding. To scale up restoration to the required level for success, large and diversified investments – from governments, private companies and philanthropic organisations – must flow faster. The Mangrove Breakthrough, introduced at COP27, aims to mobilise $4 billion for mangrove protection and restoration by 2030, bridging critical gaps between policy, finance and action. But financing must go beyond carbon credits. Delegates called for financial models that recognise the full suite of mangrove ecosystem services – from biodiversity protection to disaster risk reduction – and channel funds into long-term, science-driven, community-anchored projects. The reality is stark: $8 trillion in investment is needed to tackle the biodiversity crisis, and annual financing for nature must quadruple by 2050. Small-scale projects alone cannot meet this challenge – scaling up investment is key. In this context, the ADMI Partnership Programme represents a promising model. It enables organisations within and outside the emirate to collaborate on joint initiatives to rehabilitate and protect mangrove trees, enhancing their ability to have a tangible positive impact on nature, climate and society. This programme is based on a scientific approach to effectively and sustainably restore coastal areas and calls for the integration of efforts between the public and private sectors and various stakeholders. Speakers were clear-eyed: urgent action must follow urgent words. The final message from the conference declared: 'We have the knowledge. We have the tools. What we need now is scale, speed and solidarity.' The world has a narrow window to secure the future of mangroves. The IMCRC marked an important milestone – a rallying point for a rising global movement committed to protecting one of nature's most extraordinary, life-giving ecosystems. The race is on – but with science, community and political will aligned, the future can still be one where mangroves not only survive, but flourish. About Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, we embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. We seek to raise environmental awareness, facilitate sustainable development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda. About Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative: Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative ADMI is the first of its kind in the region, launched in partnership between Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Zoological Society of London during the visit of Prince William with H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2022. Supporting global biodiversity conservation and restoration goals and the UAE's climate goals, it is establishing a Mangrove Conservation Centre of Excellence in the UAE. The initiative represents an umbrella for all coastal conservation and restoration projects locally, provides a platform for regional and international collaboration as well as encouraging necessary public-private partnerships.


Mid East Info
4 days ago
- Mid East Info
Abu Dhabi Delivers Landmark Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Environment Sector, Cementing Its Global Position
In a major step toward climate resilience, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD today launched the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Environment Sector 2025–2050 – a comprehensive and science-based roadmap designed to protect the emirate's natural resources and systems from the increasing and inevitable impacts of climate change. This pioneering plan – the emirate's first – was created as part of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy 2023–2027The plan is also aligned with the UAE National Climate Change Plan 2017-2050 and the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, established at COP28, which provides time-bound targets for adaptation planning across key sectors. Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said: 'The launch of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the environment sector marks a defining moment for the environmental future of the emirate. We are moving beyond foresight to decisive actions, preparing for climate realities with unwavering commitment to safeguarding our natural heritage. This plan is a science-backed, action-oriented roadmap that will enhance the resilience of our natural resources, safeguard biodiversity and thrives to ensure water and food security.' She added: 'This achievement reflects our commitment to foreseeing a future based on adaptation to current and future climate impacts. It strengthens our efforts to achieve the UAE's national climate objectives and Sustainable Development Goals by reducing environmental vulnerabilities, safeguarding ecosystems. This plan firmly places the emirate at the forefront of adaptation planning in the region.' The Environment Sector Adaptation Plan focuses on three highly vulnerable environmental systems: groundwater, soil and biodiversity. These are critical to Abu Dhabi's human health, long-term water security, agricultural productivity and overall ecosystem health. Through robust risk assessments the plan identifies a wide array of climate-induced threats and outlines 142 adaptation actions to be implemented by 2050, including 86 high-priority projects identified for implementation over the next five years. These actions span a range of technical, institutional and nature-based solutions. Over the long term, the plan supports Abu Dhabi's strategic ambition to preserve and enhance its natural capital. It contributes to national efforts to increase food self-sufficiency, effect a shift toward more sustainable land and water management systems and enhance the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. These efforts not only mitigate future environmental and economic risks but also contribute to the emirate's social and ecological stability. Sheikha Al Mazrouei, Executive Director of the Integrated Environment Policy and Planning Sector stated: 'This plan sets a new benchmark for environmental resilience in the region. It offers a clear, science-based pathway to safeguard Abu Dhabi's natural assets from the accelerating impacts of climate change. Designed to be adaptive and forward-looking, it integrates the latest data, evolving climate projections, and policy alignment to ensure our responses remain effective over time. As part of a broader national and emirate-wide strategy, it reinforces our long-term vision to protect ecosystems, sustain natural resources, and secure the well-being of future generations.' The development of the plan was a collaborative process, led by EAD and involved more than 40 government, semi-government, academic, civil society entities and youth. The plan is designed to be dynamic and forward-looking, with built-in mechanisms for periodic review, stakeholder engagement and integration of new scientific findings and climate projections. Alongside the UAE National Climate Change Plan 2017-2050, it also complements the National Biodiversity Strategy and other international commitments. The Abu Dhabi Climate Change Adaptation Plan – Environment Sector is one of four sectoral plans being rolled out under a broader emirate-wide adaptation strategy. Upcoming plans will address the energy, health and infrastructure sectors, together forming a unified framework that ensures the resilience of Abu Dhabi's critical systems and communities. About Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD: Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, we embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. We seek to raise environmental awareness, facilitate sustainable development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda.


Mid East Info
03-07-2025
- Mid East Info
Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi Wins LEED Gold Award for Energy Design and Sustainable Buildings at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre
Abu Dhabi,July 2025: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD has been awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certificate for sustainable buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council USGBC, the world's most widely used green building rating system. This recognition highlights EAD's outstanding efforts in implementing energy efficiency systems, environmental stewardship and its strong commitment to sustainability in the management of the Plant Genetic Resources Centre building in Al Ain. The Agency received this award by meeting all the necessary certification criteria, including a 75.1 per cent reduction in energy consumption, a 53.49 per cent decrease in water usage and a 75.1 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the Plant Genetic Resources Centre building relies on renewable energy by generating 581,077 kilowatt-hours annually through on-site photovoltaic solar panels. Commenting on the achievement, Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said: 'Winning the LEED Gold certificate for the management of the Plant Genetic Resources Centre building in Al Ain is a pivotal achievement that affirms Abu Dhabi's unwavering commitment to spearhead global environmental leadership. Guided by our strategy rooted in responsible practices, we are committed to establishing a new benchmark by transforming our assets and facilities into highly efficient, sustainable ecosystems – ensuring a more prosperous future for generations to come.' This Certificate further reinforces the role of the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, established by the Agency in Al Ain, to conserve the seeds and tissues of all native wild plants and agriculturally significant local species in the UAE. It also reflects the team's dedication to integrating sustainability efforts to achieve energy efficiency and optimal resource management – underscoring the Agency's commitment across all its facilities to building a more sustainable future.