Statistics issued by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi revealed the presence of more than 500 species of wild plants, and more than 3,500 species of different animal species, in addition to 3,000 sea cows and 5,000 turtles in the emirate. The emirate also includes about 176 square kilometers. of mangrove trees, and more than three million migratory birds pass through it annually, noting its success in discovering and recording 27 new species of invertebrate species, which were recorded for the first time in the world.
In detail, the Authority confirmed that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is characterized by a rich natural heritage, and it was keen to develop and implement integrated plans and programs that contributed to the establishment of the “Zayed Network of Natural Reserves,” which includes 20 terrestrial and marine natural reserves. It is an integrated and comprehensive network that contains the best and most important natural habitats rich in biological diversity. It represents the cornerstone of protecting biological diversity and natural and cultural heritage.
The Authority indicated that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi includes 14 terrestrial reserves, representing 17% of the emirate’s land area, and six marine reserves, representing 14% of the total area of the marine environment in the emirate, and aims to increase them to 21%, in order to achieve the biodiversity goals for the year 2030, noting that it is implementing 11 initiatives based on nature-based solutions, running over the next five years in the areas of biodiversity.
The authority stressed that its efforts led to maintaining the integrity of the seagrass meadows, which contributed to the stability of the numbers of dugongs in their natural habitats in the emirate, which is home to the second largest concentration of dugongs, with numbers reaching more than three thousand dugongs, and its density is considered the highest per meter. The square in the Arabian Gulf region, noting that the results of studies also showed an improvement in the numbers of turtles and their stability in the emirate over the past years, and their numbers are estimated at about five thousand hawksbill, green, and loggerhead turtles.
The Authority confirmed that the Al Qurm – Abu Dhabi Initiative is one of the most prominent programs to rehabilitate coastal and marine ecosystems in Abu Dhabi, which is included in the United Nations Environment Programme’s list of the ten best global initiatives to rehabilitate ecosystems, pointing out that the initiative works to provide an international platform to develop innovative solutions for planting trees. Mangroves and contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and raising awareness about them, and enhancing the emirate’s position as a leading global center for research and innovation in the field of mangrove conservation.
She pointed out that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi contains 85% of the mangrove area in the country, and has witnessed an increase in its area by more than 90% over the past decades. Today, the emirate is home to about 176 square kilometers of natural and cultivated mangrove trees, while the Authority’s studies have shown the ability of mangrove trees in Abu Dhabi. It stores carbon at a rate of half a ton per hectare annually.
The Authority succeeded in improving the condition of the deteriorating fish stocks, while implementing the decisions and procedures related to fishing taken by the Authority to protect the fish stocks. The results and outputs showed that Abu Dhabi is on the right track to achieve its goal of sustainable fisheries by 2030. An improvement has been achieved in the “Sustainable Fishing Index” for the fourth year in a row, as the index percentage increased from 8.9% in 2018 to 69.1% in End of 2022.
The Authority’s efforts have provided protection for three species of dolphins and one species of porpoise, as the emirate’s waters contain more than 700 dolphins, most of which live in marine protected areas, including the largest group of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in the world.
Digger wasps
At the end of last December, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi discovered eight new species of invertebrates, belonging to the wasp family and known as “dig hornets.” They were discovered in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, Al Bidda Reserve, Barqa Falcons Reserve, and Houbara Reserve, which reflects the importance of natural reserves in Preserving the biodiversity of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, noting that it preserves specimens of a wide range of invertebrates, and will provide information on new insect species via an online database, for use by researchers, natural scientists and the general public.
Researchers at the Authority used traps in the form of a net-like structure mounted on a metal frame, to catch flying insects and store them in bottles containing a preservative solution.
Researchers at the Authority classify the captured insects, in cooperation with a group of international insect experts, according to a long process of classifying species. This process resulted in a new group of insects that were added to the world list.
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