ABU DHABI, 22nd February, 2023 (WAM) – H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, has received Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, at Al Nakheel Palace here.
During the meeting, Sheikh Hamdan reviewed the roadmap of the National Carbon Sequestration Project to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030 as part of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.
Sheikh Hamdan learned about the map's four activities: evaluating mangrove planting sites, producing mangrove seeds and seedlings, a programme for planting seeds and seedlings in selected sites, and monitoring and following up on planted mangroves and the levels of carbon that will be captured.
Many studies and scientific research indicate the high effectiveness and enormous ability of mangroves to absorb and capture carbon up to 4 to 5 times greater than wild tropical rain forests, in addition to being a safe natural habitat for marine biodiversity, as 80% of global fish populations depend on healthy mangrove ecosystems.