In the early 90s, there was a saying among environmental researchers and contract engineers in Abu Dhabi that destroying even one mangrove leaf could land them in jail.
It was a joke, but one that summed up the emirate's deep commitment to mangrove conservation long before climate change and global warming were buzz words.
Australian researcher Ronald Loughland, who moved to Abu Dhabi in 1993 as a 29-year-old PhD student, went on to study the mangroves along the Arabian coast and was astonished by the rulers' passion for protecting the tropical wetland plants amid a time when they were being destroyed globally.
I observed Sheikh Zayed and his sons in the field, and they had a contagious enthusiasm for the environment
Ronald Loughland,
environmental consultant for the UAE
“Abu Dhabi was one of the few places in the world, where the area of mangroves was actually increasing,” Mr Loughland, now 60, told The National.
“That's pretty important and that was because of the plantation programmes.”
He said between 1990 and 2021, the area of mangrove forests in Abu Dhabi increased by around 50 per cent.
Dr Loughland, who has worked as an environmental consultant for the last 30 years, claims to have planted millions of mangroves in Abu Dhabi in the 90s and said environmental conservation was in the DNA of Abu Dhabi rulers.
Sheikh Zayed's legacy
The UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his sons – including the late President, Sheikh Khalifa, and President Sheikh Mohamed – planted the early seeds of Abu Dhabi's ambitious mangrove conservation project.
Dr Loughland says he has seen first-hand the keen interest Sheikh Zayed took in ecological conservation.
“I observed Sheikh Zayed and his sons in the field, and they had a contagious enthusiasm for the environment.
“With his sandals off, camel stick in hand, Sheikh Zayed would walk around and give personal instructions to plantation workers with comments such as they were not planting the seeds deep enough,” said Mr Loughland, who is currently consulting for the UAE, splitting his time between Abu Dhabi and Australia.
“His sons would also be with him, listening and following their father's every word. They loved to get the mud between their toes. They really enjoyed it.”
He said Sheikh Zayed valued mangroves as he was a “Bedouin at heart” and a real “man of the earth”.
“He knew the value of trees for shade and for food,” he said.
“And in the old days, when people used to travel on camel, they used [to] go along the coast, and they used to use mangroves for fodder. It is also wood for their cooking fires.”
Lack of climate literacy
Climate change in those days was an unknown concept and little was known about its impact.
“It was considered a future concern. There was also a lot of confusion about what people understood as climate change impacts and mitigation,” said Dr Loughland.
He first came across the impact on climate change when undertaking marine studies that revealed the massive coral bleaching that occurred on the Gulf coast in 1993 due to the rising temperature in seawater.
“That's when I really became a believer in climate change, because I saw it,” he said.
Over 90 per cent of coral reefs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai were lost in the severe coral bleaching reported in 1996 and 1998, according to the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD).
Dr Loughland was one of a handful of start-up staff at the EAD in 1993 – which was back then based in Sweihan and called the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency – who conducted the initial surveys on the flora and fauna of Abu Dhabi.
Part of his research also involved looking at satellite imagery and understanding changes in mangrove vegetation.
“This data enabled me to look at all the different pockets where mangroves were growing from 1972 and then every year after that up until the 90s and early 2000s,” he said.
“What occurred was that there was an ongoing increase in mangroves in Abu Dhabi compared to the 1970s. The increase was happening as a result of protection and plantations.
“The irony is that mangroves were actually in serious decline worldwide during this same period, so Abu Dhabi was a real anomaly,” he added.
Travelling with Thesiger
Dr Loughland said he also had the privilege of accompanying legendary British explorer and travel writer, Wilfred Thesiger (also known by his Arabic name, Mubarak Bin London), when he used to visit Abu Dhabi in the 90s on Sheikh Zayed's invitation.
“He used to come as an old man every year to spend the winter in Abu Dhabi because it was too cold in England.
“I spent considerable time with him and would accompany him to banquet dinners and camel races. I used to pick his brains about the environment. What was it like before when he was here in the 1940s? Were there mangroves and where were they? And he would say, 'No, I don't remember seeing very many'.”
Mr Thesiger was known for his extensive trips to the Arabian Peninsula and Africa during the 1940s.
His classic works, such as Arabian Sands and The Marsh Arabs document his experiences and deep understanding of the cultures and landscapes he visited.
He often accompanied Sheikh Zayed on trips and they shared a mutual appreciation for the desert's beauty and the importance of environmental conservation.
Emiratis' love for environment
Dr Loughland said he discovered intriguing differences in behaviour, genetics and species while studying Abu Dhabi's mangroves.
Protecting mangrove genetic diversity is vital for future challenges, as certain genes may offer resistance to climate change, he said.
During his time in the emirate, he said he had helped plant millions of mangroves.
He also established scientific approaches to planting, including using optical hydrological zones on mudflats with the optimal heights determined for best growth.
Seedlings, known locally as “Shitla” in Arabic, were grown extensively in nurseries and later planted in designated coastal areas.
Another part of his contribution included developing new plantation techniques that enabled the conversion of low value saline coastal “Sabkha” into thriving new productive mangrove forests.
Having spent years in the GCC with a hands-on approach to mangrove planting – and developing local talent – Dr Loughland said Abu Dhabi is on the right track with its ambitious plan to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030.
The goal was set to help the emirate to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Forty-four million of the trees have been planted since 2020, 23 million of them over the last two years covering 9,200 hectares.
It is the Emiratis’ deep love for the environment, that makes all the difference, said Dr Loughland.
“And the most wonderful thing is they have kept it going, this passion. The young Sheikhs, the third-generation rulers have also nurtured this love for nature. They are switched on when it comes to environment.”
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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The%20specs
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
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Plays golf once a week
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
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She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
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Brief scores:
Manchester City 2
Gundogan 27', De Bruyne 85'
Crystal Palace 3
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Man of the Match: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace)
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