ABU DHABI, 17th May, 2023 (WAM) — The Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO)’s campaign has continued to plant 3,000 avicennia trees in a number of regions of Abu Dhabi in cooperation with Environment Friends Society (EFS), including 1,000 trees on the beach of Al Mirfa City in Al Dhafra area, with the participation of 50 students of determination, affiliates of ZHO, Al Dhafra Municipality, and a number of entities.
The campaign was attended by Nafie Ali Al Hammadi, Executive Director of ZHO Support Services Sector, and Dr. Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, Chairman of EFS Board of Directors, and saw the participation of Al Mirfa Municipality.
The campaign comes as part of the Year of Sustainability frame under the slogan "Today for tomorrow". It embodies the interest of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, in the concept of sustainability in the context of seeking reduction of carbon emissions by planting avicennia trees, and achieving the goals of climate action sustainable development, as well as integrating people of determination in community environmental campaigns with school students and community members, and enhancing their engagement in supporting environmental campaigns and various activities in the state.
Al Hammadi stressed the importance of educating ZHO’s affiliates of determination and cadres environment protection in the UAE as a top priority that should be adhered to, individually or collectively, noting that protecting the environment has become a national duty of citizens and residents in light of the climate changes the world has been seeing due to pollutants and technological progress remnants.
He said that the issue of the environment and environmental awareness takes a large part of the interest of ZHO, which is committed to the principle of environmental safety. ZHO has launched a myriad of environment protection initiatives and projects, and that its affiliates of determination, are keen on the safety and cleanliness of their surrounding world, valuing this constructive goal, he added.
Al Hammadi thanked EFS’s officials for their cooperation and interest in communicating with ZHO to achieve the common goal of working to protect the UAE environment, realizing the importance of this goal, and to educate ZHO’s affiliates and cadres on environmental issues, and to take part in joint activities between the two sides.
For his part, Dr. Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, Chairman of EFS Board of Directors, said, “The initiative is in line with the national goal announced by the UAE to plant one million avicennia trees by 2030, noting that this national commitment is part of the UAE’s endeavor to capitalize on natural solutions to combat climate change, especially in light of the main role of avicennia trees in absorbing carbon and protecting the state’s coasts from rise in sea levels”.
"Our goal is to enhance meaningful community interaction, dedicate the great diversity that characterizes the UAE, and instill the principles of overall environmental leadership", he said, adding that the initiative contributes to fulfilling EFS’s commitment to achieve a sustainable future and activate the role of the third, public and private sectors in protecting one of the most important vital systems in the state. The initiative comes in line with the wise leadership’s vision to highlight and unite the efforts of all sectors in order to enhance collective action. EFS-ZHO cooperation resulted in integrating and supporting the participation of people of determination in environmental activities and events in general, he noted.
It is worth noting that the avicennia forests, which cover tens of kilometers of land along the coastline of the UAE, are part and parcel of the coastal ecosystems in the UAE and represent rich and safe natural habitats for the breeding of several types of fish. The avicennia trees are an environmental treasure, as they enjoy a tremendous economic and biological importance for containing a plenty of marine organisms, and also serve as the only natural incubator for shrimp. Meanwhile, they protect the beaches from erosion and are used as a shelter for nesting birds.