Dubai to plant 40,000 mangrove trees in its sanctuaries over next two years

Dubai has launched a Mangrove Planting Initiative across its sanctuaries. The initiative targets planting 40,000 mangrove trees over the next two years, making it one of the UAE’s most significant mangrove restoration projects.

The initiative is led by Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (DECCA), the governmental body leading the environmental and climate agenda in the Emirate.

Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director General of DECCA, announced this at an event held at the Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary, in the presence of Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chief of Police and General Security in Dubai.

Mangroves are a very efficient carbon sink, offering an effective solution to face climate change. They also act as a natural coastal shield, dissipating wave energy and stabilising sediments. Among their roots, fish and benthic organisms thrive, supporting marine fisheries and coastal communities, thereby reinforcing food security in Dubai.

The initiative was launched at Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The sanctuary’s importance lies in its location at the heart of one of the region’s most active development corridors.

Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim remarked: “Our environment is the most vital national asset and its protection is a shared responsibility for everyone across community.

Mangrove forests are not just green spaces within Dubai’s landscape; they are deeply rooted in our national identity. Our forefathers lived alongside them and protected them, recognising their importance in enhancing biodiversity in Dubai, and entrusted them to us to protect for future generations.

“Launching the Mangrove Planting Initiative in Dubai’s Sanctuaries is an ambitious step in the emirate’s efforts to strengthen environmental sustainability, in line with our wise leadership’s vision to support and conserve environmental resources as a key enabler of biodiversity in Dubai.”

Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani added: “The Mangrove Planting Initiative in Dubai’s Sanctuaries is a key step in advancing environmental and climate action.

“Mangrove forests are our green fort against the impacts of climate change. This initiative supports the UAE’s national target to plant 100 million mangrove trees by 2030, while enhancing biodiversity within the emirate’s protected areas.”

The initiative launch coincides with Planting Week organised by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and supports the UAE’s strategic environmental and climate priorities and commitments.

Spanning 75.2 square kilometres, the Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary hosts remarkable fauna and flora mix including coral reefs and seagrass meadows to mangrove stands that together to create vital natural habitats for turtles, fish, reptiles and birds.