Jan 12, 2023
https://www.ead.gov.ae/en/Media-Centre/News/0-plants-one-million-mangrove
Abu Dhabi, UAE 12 January 2023: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has successfully planted one million mangrove seeds using drones, as part of the first phase of a drone mangrove plantation project supporting the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative.
The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative was announced in February 2021 during His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge’s landmark visit to the UAE, where he met with His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, at Jubail Mangrove Park.
This initiative, which is implemented by EAD with a series of local, regional and international partners, supports Abu Dhabi’s ambitious plans to establish the emirate as a global hub for research and innovation in support of the conservation of mangroves, and focuses on the importance of mangroves for carbon sequestration to combat climate change.
The initiative supports the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment’s target, announced during COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, that unveiled a nationwide plan to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030. Following this, in February of this year, the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative was launched.
EAD is the first organisation to utilise and plant mangroves at a large-scale utilising ecological principles, enhanced by drones. The planting of one million seeds follows a successful initial phase implemented by EAD in partnership with ENGIE, the global energy company, and Distant Imagery, a drone engineering solutions company.
This initial phase focused on planting mangroves via drone in 2020, with up to a 48 per cent success rate. EAD then scaled up the project, with one million mangroves planted via drones at different locations around Al Mirfa, in Al Dhafra Region.......