Scotland: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accepted the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which commits governments to cooperate together to prevent and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while fostering sustainable development and inclusive rural transformation.
According to the statement, over 90 countries have supported the declaration at the COP26 Leaders’ Action on Forests and Land Use event during the World Leaders’ Summit.
Governments, Enterprises, Financial actors, and Non-state leaders gathered at the event to enhance ambition on forests and land use in ways that benefit the environment, people, economic development, and biodiversity.
When forests are lost and land is degraded, we are at a risk of losing the countless services these vital ecosystems offer, such as providing critical habitats for biodiversity and acting as natural carbon sinks to regulate climate at the forefront.
Ms. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment observed.
“We believe in the multilateral process as key to solving global challenges. Therefore, the UAE has endorsed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and will work with other like-minded nations to end and reverse forest loss and land degradation worldwide. We urge all leaders to join forces in the global transition to sustainable land use,” the UAE Minister further added.
According to the statement, “In the fight against land degradation, the UAE reinforces its blue carbon ecosystems – coastal vegetation such as mangrove forests, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows.” Mangrove forests serve as powerful carbon sinks that sequester CO2 and improve environmental resilience, thus providing significant climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits as well as offering important habitats for biodiversity.”
In its second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the country has promised to plant 30 million mangroves by 2030 to boost its blue carbon ecosystems.
The UAE launched the National Blue Carbon Project, which aims to improve knowledge of carbon storage and other services supplied by the country’s coastal ecosystems. The project proposes ways to incorporate these lessons into policy and management, resulting in the long-term use and preservation of these ecosystems and their services for future generations.
To address land degradation, the UAE is using cutting-edge technology and creative ideas, such as using drones to monitor agricultural regions and sowing tree seeds to decrease sand encroachment.
Furthermore, the UAE is using cutting-edge drone planting technology to sow mangrove seeds. The ambitious Plantation Rehabilitation Program, which encompasses the rehabilitation of all types of plants, notably rare and endangered species, contributes to this goal.
The UAE is now constructing the Abu Dhabi Plant Genetic Resources Centre (Gene Bank), which will be the largest in the area once completed in 2022, with a capacity to hold 20,000 samples. The facility intends to preserve plant biological diversity in the UAE and the wider region and to help reproduce it in nature.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) is updating the National Strategy to Combat Desertification, which focuses on protecting ecosystems and reducing the consequences of desertification, to guide the country’s efforts to protect and restore its natural environment.
MOCCAE launched the Gheras app to encourage community participation in the government’s effort to maintain and restore indigenous flora’s natural habitats. The app gives users access to a comprehensive database of local plant species and how to care for them.
“The Ministry is also working on the UAE Smart Map of Natural Capital using remote sensing that will inform policies and decision-making on land use, investment, and business improvement in line with the country’s economic vision and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The high-resolution map will identify local biodiversity-rich ecosystems and services they provide to the environment, in addition to an economic valuation of these services,” as per the reports.
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