There's more to Abu Dhabi's mangroves plan than restoring them

The National

2 days ago

As the tides shift and the climate narrative grows ever more urgent, I find myself reflecting on a remarkable story unfolding in the heart of the Arabian Gulf.
Mangroves have long been revered in the country. The UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, personally oversaw large scale restoration of mangroves in the 1970s. His vision transformed Abu Dhabi's coastlines into laboratories of environmental stewardship.
Today, we are reaping the rewards of that legacy. A 2020 habitat mapping study by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) revealed a 92 per cent increase in the emirate's mangrove cover between 1987 and 2021. This is the result of conservation and restoration efforts, including the planting of 51.5 million mangroves to date.
But this is not just about numbers. Our dominant native species, Avicennia marina, or grey mangrove, has adapted to some of the harshest coastal conditions on Earth. Without requiring freshwater, these trees survive extreme salinity, high temperatures and the shifting nature of tidal zones. In an era of climate disruption, they are survivors.
Globally, mangroves are finally gaining recognition as high-value, nature-based solutions. They store up to 10 times more carbon than terrestrial forests, are nurseries for marine life, barriers against storm surges and enrich biodiversity both above and below the waterline.
Losing mangroves means losing critical protection for millions of people living in coastal areas worldwide. An estimated 748 million people live within the first five kilometres of a shoreline; approximately 10 per cent of the world's population. The next five-km band contains approximately 343.5 million people – accounting for an additional 4.6 per cent of the Earth's population.
Losing mangroves also means forfeiting a vital carbon sink in the fight against climate change. The good news is that global mangrove loss has slowed to between 0.04 per cent and 0.7 per cent per year. But while the rate of deforestation declines, new challenges emerge: habitat fragmentation, sea-level rise and rapid coastal development threaten the functional integrity of mangrove ecosystems.
Mangroves are resilient, adaptable and remarkably attuned to change. By 2035, climate shifts will likely reshape where and how these forests thrive. Globally, rising seas, changing salinity and stronger storms may cause die-offs in some areas and expansions in others.
In warmer regions, flowering and fruiting may begin earlier, while higher latitudes could see mangroves taking root for the first time. The phenological changes and possible geographical shifts due to contraction and expansion of mangroves will offer an opportunity for conservation.
Protecting existing mangroves is critical. To outpace climate change, however, we must restore with precision, focusing on coastal zones and mangrove genotypes most likely to thrive in tomorrow's conditions. That's why EAD works closely with scientists to model future scenarios and guide restoration where it will have the greatest long-term impact.
Last year, EAD began a project to expand its study of carbon storage and sequestration rates across different blue carbon habitats. The study gave us the latest data on carbon storage and sequestration, and added to our previous studies.
One of the most important findings was that saltmarshes in Abu Dhabi are storing more carbon than previously expected. The study also revealed significant differences between sites, highlighting the need for location-specific data to guide conservation. Overall, the updated data for mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses and microbial mats reinforces how vital these habitats are to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
The project helped us expand the scope and coverage of our carbon sampling making the dataset available for carbon sequestration rates in Abu Dhabi amongst the most robust globally in terms of coverage and statistical representation.
In Abu Dhabi, 3,000 square kilometres of seagrass meadows sequester an estimated 44,100 tonnes of carbon annually. This is equivalent to offsetting the emissions from roughly 22,000 one-way flights between London and Abu Dhabi - highlighting the vital role these coastal ecosystems play in climate mitigation.
These findings will help shape planning, informing restoration priorities, identifying key conservation zones and reinforcing protection efforts with robust evidence. They also set a new benchmark for science-driven marine conservation and contribute to support the UAE's national climate goals.
The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), launched in 2022, is Abu Dhabi's flagship programme for mangrove research, restoration and community engagement. It is mobilising resources towards science-based mangrove restoration and helping develop and use technologies that can redefine how the world restores mangroves.
ADMI has also developed the UAE's first national Mangrove Restoration Guidelines, launched in 2024 with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Emirates Nature-WWF and other national partners.
These guidelines offer a roadmap for restoration across ecological zones, blending traditional techniques with new technology. They include comprehensive guidance on drone-assisted seed dispersal – an approach EAD has been piloting with its partners since 2020 and which positions Abu Dhabi as a global leader in scaling restoration through precision and innovation.
In April, Abu Dhabi supported the single most important scientific assessment of mangrove species worldwide by hosting the world's first Mangrove Week through ADMI. The event was supported by key partners Adnoc and the Zoological Society of London, to explore mangrove science and solutions.
A major highlight was the first comprehensive global Red List assessment of mangrove species in more than 15 years. The assessment evaluated the conservation status of over 70 mangrove species worldwide, providing data that will inform priorities, investments and policy action for the most at-risk species. EAD will soon release the first-ever mangrove monitoring toolkit for the Arabian Gulf Region.
Restoration is not just planting. It must restore function, support biodiversity, consider seascape connectivity and be designed for the long term. And EAD is aligning its efforts with the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Mangrove Breakthrough, an international initiative to mobilise political, financial and technical support to halt mangrove loss and restore 15 million hectares globally by 2030. Abu Dhabi is proud to contribute to that initiative, not only through funding and technical support but by developing scalable models that other coastal cities can adopt.
Our vision for 2035 is to position Abu Dhabi as one of the global capitals of mangrove research and innovation. By combining Abu Dhabi's natural advantages, such as the uniquely resilient Avicennia marina, with advanced data platforms, AI-powered monitoring systems, we are moving into a new era of precision mapping. This allows us to see more, act faster and restore smarter. Additionally, through our world-class scientific partnerships, we are creating an integrated model that unites innovation, policy and community action.
Our priorities go beyond protecting and restoring mangroves. They focus on integrated coastal management and protection that ensures the connected seascapes continue to thrive and provide ecosystem services that are essential to health, well-being, the economy and overall quality of life. Our efforts to protect and restore mangroves and other blue carbon ecosystems are cornerstones of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy.
Through ADMI, we are inviting residents and volunteers to take part in mangrove monitoring. Grassroots participation generates valuable insights that informs science-based decisions. By fostering awareness, stewardship and a sense of shared responsibility, conservation can be a collective journey.
Abu Dhabi's story is not one of isolated success, but a growing global movement, anchored in science, accelerated by innovation and made possible through collaboration. Let us intensify our efforts to protect and restore, not just landscapes and seascapes, but the trust between people and planet.