Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Dendra, in partnership with ADQ, announced a collaboration on a project that aims to support Abu Dhabi’s efforts in coastal ecosystems restoration, specifically mangroves, and comes under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), supporting Abu Dhabi’s Climate Change Strategy.
The partnership between the entities will provide additional investment in resources and technologies that will help to further increase ongoing mangrove planting efforts in Abu Dhabi.
“To ensure the success of the project we are using drone advanced monitoring tools to increase the accuracy of the data regarding the ecosystems before selecting the most ideal areas for restoration. Following this, we will start planting the mangroves under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, which will further support the UAE’s Plan to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030,” said Ahmed Al Hashmi, Executive Director of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector at EAD.
EAD will provide data-driven guidance through mangrove specialists who have been leading numerous mangrove restoration projects, they said in a statement. The specialists will use integrated technology, local ecology and traditional knowledge.
Dendra will provide the technology and services via remote-sensing and drone-based seeding in a data-driven approach with the goal of optimising restoration activities and improving outcomes, they said in the statement.
Moreover, the collaboration will also include additional remote sensing surveys to support EAD’s current knowledge on mangroves, mangrove sites and potential restoration sites and efforts, adding an additional layer of data through the adaptation and use of advanced technologies.