Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) has announced the official launch of ADERN (Abu Dhabi Environmental Research Network), a community of research scientists, research institutions, and allied innovators to convene research and development experts around the scientific knowledge gaps facing stakeholders to continuously enhance the environment of the emirate.
With a focus on addressing environmental challenges, ADERN will play a vital role in advancing the understanding and implementation of sustainability in Abu Dhabi.
To support the research efforts of ADERN, EAD has developed the Abu Dhabi Environmental Research Needs Register, an extensive list of over 200 research requirements. An Environmental Knowledge Graph System is a world-first innovation developed to analyse and communicate cause-and-effect relationships between humans and the environment and the impact of a changed environment on human well-being.
EAD’s environmental portal contains data from its 25 years of research. An Environmental Research Directory will catalogue the hundreds of environmental researchers and allied innovators, research facilities, research projects, and events. Collectively, these tools will help stakeholders make science-based decisions that address the environmental challenges faced by the Emirate.
Eight universities have joined ADERN as founding institutional members. These include Abu Dhabi University, Al Ain University, American University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, NYU Abu Dhabi, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates University, and Zayed University.
We are facing unprecedented challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. We cannot ignore these issues, and time is of the essence. That is why today we launch the Abu Dhabi Environmental Research Network, a ground-breaking initiative to revolutionise how we approach science-based problem-solving. Our mantra is simple yet powerful: ‘Convene, Converge, Collaborate.
Mr. Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director at EAD, shared.
Over the past decade, Abu Dhabi has become a notable epicentre for innovation and scientific progression. The research capacity of the UAE has shown a significant 16-fold increase since 2000, highlighting its academic prowess.
As the UAE prepares to host COP28 later this year, the launch of ADERN is a testament to the Abu Dhabi Emirate’s determination to tackle climate change head-on and aligns with the ‘Year of Sustainability.’