Describing mangroves as “nature’s fortress” and “our unsung heroes”, which serve as carbon sinks, protectors of coastlines and havens of biodiversity, Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of Environmental Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), said in her opening remarks at the first edition of The International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference (IMCRC) in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, “Here in Abu Dhabi, we have long recognised the importance of protecting and restoring our biodiversity. Our mapping study revealed that mangroves cover in Abu Dhabi Emirate has increased from over 9,100 hectares in 1987 to 17,600 hectares in 2020.”
The conference is part of the second Year of Sustainability under the framework of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative and Abu Dhabi’s Climate Change Strategy. She paid tribute to UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan: “This conference is a tribute to Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and his vision of inclusivity – a vision that focused not only on nation-building but also on nature-building.” She emphasised: “By nurturing our ecosystems and healing our planet, we can leave our own legacies for future generations.”
She said that 50 per cent of the mangrove systems in the world are at risk due to human activity, and pointed to the importance of the conference in meeting this challenge: “This conference provides an ideal platform to tackle these challenges through international collaboration.”
It has been the consistent stance of the UAE that the issues of climate change have to be tackled at the global level and through international cooperation, and climate change impacts the whole planet and all the people on it.
The approach is also guided by the fact that the solutions to the climate change challenge have to be based on scientific evidence and science-based solutions. There has been a tendency on the part of some of the groups protesting climate change and the slow response of governments, especially of the developed countries, to seek drastic and unrealistic timeframes for solutions. The UAE’s approach shows that the policies have to be evolved through global consultation of experts, and implementation strategies should be worked out.
And also, there are no instant solutions to the climate problems. The example of the expansion of the Abu Dhabi mangrove belt from 1987 to 2020 cited above is an example that there is need for patience and persistence to make things work. Also, no country can work out solutions on its own. It needs help from experts all over, and there is need to share knowledge.
The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative that started in 2022 is not meant just for Abu Dhabi but for mangroves everywhere, and it has established Abu Dhabi as a global hub for the conservation and restoration of mangroves. A session on “Achieving High-Integrity Mangrove Restoration for Nature, Climate and People” on the opening day of the conference indicated the intent and scope of the conference. It shows that similar initiatives have to be taken in different countries, which are global in nature, so that the cumulative efforts of governments, peoples, and groups of international experts can work to find the answers to the big challenges facing the world on the climate front. The UAE’s willingness to work with international teams of experts sets a good example for other governments.
Another important aspect of the UAE’s approach to climate change is its openness to innovative technologies for tackling climate challenges. It shows that there is no turning our back on technology, but that it should be pressed into service to solve problems confronting humanity. Grand announcements and grand gestures are not of much use. The Abu Dhabi conference shows how the work needs to be carried out at the ground level.
