UAE to plant 10,000 mangrove trees across seven emirates

A project has been launched to plant 10,000 mangrove trees across the UAE this year.

It is part of the country's commitment to plant 100 million by 2030.

The initiative will begin with 10,000 mangrove trees, which were featured in the 51st National Day celebrations.

They will be planted across various locations in the seven emirates by the end of the year.

Led by 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, a pledge made at Cop27.

The Today for Tomorrow: National Day Mangrove Project began on Thursday, with 500 volunteers planting 100 mangrove trees at Abu Dhabi's Yas Beach.

"Today for Tomorrow is the slogan of the UAE Year of Sustainability, which aims to inspire collective action and promote positive behavioural change, ensuring a culture of sustainability and raising awareness about the importance of protecting the environment for future generations," Eisa Al Sabousi, project lead for Year of Sustainability, told The National.

"The main goal of the initiative is to encourage individuals, families and communities to adopt sustainable practices and reduce their environmental footprint," he said.

Mr Al Sabousi said the project would involve various 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, "such as reducing single-use plastic, keeping our beach and environment clean, switching to eco-friendly products, consuming resources responsibly and conserving our biodiversity".

More than 2,000 volunteers have signed up to participate and there are 10 confirmed plantings scheduled for this year, including events in Abu Dhabi and Ajman.

The project was launched after the announcement by President Sheikh Mohamed that 2023 would be the "Year of Sustainability".

Mangroves are a vital part of the UAE's ecosystem and reduce carbon emissions and provide critical natural habitats for baby fish and other sea creatures.

The trees also 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 kilometres and capture 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

Planting 100 million mangroves will increase the coverage to 483 square kilometres, with the forests able to capture about 115,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

Earlier this year, drones scattered one million mangrove seedlings over various sites in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region.

The seed-firing drones took to the skies as part of the first phase of a drone mangrove plantation project that supports the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative.

Mangrove conservation in the UAE - in pictures