Abu Dhabi moves to protect mangroves from development

The vast swathes of mangroves alongside the capital are to receive official protection from development.

The mangroves, which will eventually make up the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park, are to the east of the city, between Abu Dhabi island and the airport.

ABU DHABI // The vast swathes of mangroves alongside the capital are to receive even greater official protection from development. Both the Urban Planning Council (UPC), the body charged with overseeing all development in the city, and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) yesterday announced new planning guidelines for the new Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park. The UPC said the guidelines would ensure the "protection and longevity" of the sweeping mangroves, identified as a key area for protection in Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, the developmental blueprint produced last year.
Although the measures do not prevent development in the mangroves altogether, they will stipulate that all construction is carried out strictly in keeping with the environment around it. They are the first guidelines to be produced for what will be five national parks in the city. Announcements regarding the other four parks are expected in the coming weeks. Falah al Ahbabi, the general manager of the UPC, said: "The mangroves surrounding the city are the most important ecological resource in the country and contain more biodiversity than any other area in Abu Dhabi.
"The environmental framework policies ensure the long-term protection of the mangrove area for future generations of citizens and visitors to Abu Dhabi." The mangroves, which will eventually make up the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park, are to the east of the city, between Abu Dhabi island and the airport. An EAD spokesman said the mangroves were important ecological assets, along with forests, mudflats and salt marshes.
The area is also a habitat for dolphins, dugong and turtles, as well as crabs, fish and seabirds. Evidence of Bronze Age civilisation has also been found in the mangroves, and the UPC confirmed the planning guidelines would ensure the key archaeological sites would be protected from development. A UPC spokesman said the measures "require that native vegetation and supporting hydrology be retained within the national park, while allowing for adjustments to changing climate, sea level and other conditions".
The 2030 Plan, the code with which Abu Dhabi developers must comply over the next 20 years, says sea levels in Abu Dhabi are expected to rise by about 0.75 metres in the long term. It adds: "As a coastal city, the mangroves provide a defining backdrop for the urbanised and urbanising backgrounds of Abu Dhabi. "Perched at the ecotone of aquatic and terrestrial ecologies, the mangroves are an important symbol for the city, as well as a barometer of how successfully growth is being managed."
The report also identifies the mangroves as an area of significant ecological importance to the country as a whole. "Mangroves along the coast account for a large portion of the biodiversity of the country and provide an excellent habitat for the many migratory birds that transit the country between Central Asia and Africa," it says. "While most mangroves around the world are declining, those in Abu Dhabi are actually increasing due to protection and a major plantation programme."
Despite the carefully crafted guidelines, which the UPC said insist on "environmentally sensitive construction practices", part of the area is being developed into a major international resort. The Eastern Mangrove "eco-resort", the brainchild of Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), will feature luxury villas next to the water, as well as 191 apartments, some of which will be next to a new marina.
TDIC said the resort was "designed in line with strict eco-guidelines" and will "contribute to the preservation of the valuable Eastern Mangrove area". @Email:[e-mail]