An eco-friendly army of volunteers planted 5,000 mangroves in under an hour in Dubai in support of the UAE's ambitious drive to breathe new life into the "green lung" of the planet.
More than 100 members of New York University Abu Dhabi's community outreach programme came together at a beauty spot near Jebel Ali to play their part in the country's bid to plant a further 100 million mangroves by 2030.
That key pledge was made at last year's Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow as part of the Emirates' ongoing efforts to support the global green agenda.
Dubai's mangrove coverage was bolstered under a partnership between NYUAD Community Outreach and the Emirates Marine Environmental Group.
“Our goal through the volunteering and community-based learning opportunities we offer to our students is to promote meaningful community involvement, embrace the rich diversity of the UAE, and cultivate ethical and inclusive leadership," said Esraa Bani, head of community outreach at the university.
"This specific initiative is very close to our hearts not only because it contributes to NYUAD’s commitment to a sustainable future and NYU’s Carbon Neutrality 2040 goal but also because we are actively engaging UAE’s youth in protecting one of the country’s unique ecosystems, a 'green lung' for the big cities and an irreplaceable wildlife habitat.”
Mangroves help to 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.
Mangroves are estimated to cover more than 150 square kilometres of the UAE's coastline, acting as a “green lung” for big cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while also providing habitats for wildlife and recreation areas for humans.
UAE aims to be mangrove conservation centre
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Prince William plants mangrove seedlings with pupils. Victor Besa / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. After the tour, they were due to hold a private bilateral meeting. Getty -
Prince William visits the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Visitors outside the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William greets Expo visitors outside the UK Pavilion. Victor Besa / The National -
The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Prince William chat inside the UAE pavilion. Getty -
Prince William watches a display inside the UAE Pavilion, accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Noura Al Kaabi. Getty -
The Duke of Cambridge signs the pavilion guestbook. Getty -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William, centre, visits Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. AFP -
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and chief executive of DP World, speaks to the prince about work to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Getty -
The duke’s visit to the port is part of a busy tour of the UAE. Getty -
Prince William's visit will build on the strong bond between the UK and the UAE. Getty -
The duke travelled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai to visit one of the world’s busiest ports. John Dennehy / The National -
Prince William sees how goods are monitored in and out of the port. John Dennehy / The National -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Jubail Mangrove Park with the prince. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed and Prince William at the mangrove park in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William and pupils at Jubail Mangrove Park. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
The prince and companies in the UAE are working together to protect flora and fauna. Victor Besa / The National -
Children tend to seedlings after meeting Prince William. Victor Besa / The National -
The seedlings were planted at Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Lilly-Rose Mayall and Amaan Haider of the British School Al Khubairat plant mangrove seedlings. Victor Besa / The National -
The view from Prince William's plane as he arrives in Dubai. Photo: Kensington Royal -
Prince William during a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, last year. The Duke of Cambridge is visiting the UAE for his first official trip to the Emirates. Getty -
Pupils at Victory Heights Primary school thought of some burning questions for Prince William before his visit to Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Prince William visited Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
Abu Dhabi in February set out ambitious plans to establish the emirate as a global hub for research and innovation in support of the conservation of mangroves during Prince William's milestone visit to the UAE.
The key project was announced when Britain's Prince William met Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, at Jubail Mangrove Park.
The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative is being carried out by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. The eco drive will provide a platform for innovation in mangrove research and support efforts to combat climate change.
A state-of-the-art mangrove nursery will also be established to act as a centre of research and learning.
The scheme aims to enable mangrove recovery to address the climate crisis and safeguard precious biodiversity.
The partners will develop a joint programme of research support on the assessment of blue carbon storage in different regional ecosystems and help to develop standardised assessment methods across habitats, such as mangroves and reefs, that allow for the comparison of data sets.
Under the project, cutting-edge genetic and planting methods will be used to breed resilient mangrove strains.
