Hamdan bin Zayed chairs the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, affirmed the Authority’s commitment to preserving the environment and its biological diversity, as it is a unique natural heritage rooted in the conscience of the people of the Emirates, reinforced by their close relationship with the environment and its natural resources that… It constitutes an essential part of their identity, and one of the most important pillars of their culture and natural heritage, and this reflects their constant keenness to protect it to enhance Abu Dhabi’s position and leadership in the field of environmental work. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan’s statement came in conjunction with World Environment Day, and during his presidency of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, where His Highness praised the unlimited support and attention that the Authority receives from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him. Which he expressed by announcing the extension of the Year of Sustainability to 2024, and His Highness stressed that this interest confirms the cultural orientation of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which always seeks to ensure the provision of a healthy environment for all, and the concerted efforts of government agencies and private sector institutions to achieve the vision and direction of the wise leadership regarding the requirements of sustainability in the sectors. all.
The meeting, which was held at Nakheel Palace, was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Amna Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Head of the Community Development Department, His Excellency Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, and His Excellency Muhammad Ali Al Shurafa, Head of the Municipalities Department. Transport, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Authority, and Musabah Al Kaabi, Executive Director of the Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth Department.

The meeting was also attended by Nasser Mohammed Al Mansouri, Undersecretary of the Court of the Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, and Dr. Sheikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi.
During the meeting, His Highness was briefed on the Authority’s plan to harness artificial intelligence in its environmental programs by 2030, making it the first environmental body to delve deeply into this field based on national expertise, global best practices, and multiple databases to achieve its environmental goals and provide advanced services to its partners and individuals. the society. His Highness praised the results achieved in 51 annual key performance indicators since the beginning of 2024, which focused on various environmental sectors, including waste, marine water quality, air quality, soil quality, biodiversity, groundwater and sustainable fishing, which contributed to In the first quarter of this year, the Authority received 5 awards at the local and international levels, and signed 7 local and international agreements. The meeting also discussed the performance of capital projects during this year implemented by the Authority, including the establishment of the Marine Museum in Saadiyat National Park, and the establishment of cages. Bahraya for fish farming on Dalma Island, and the seed preservation center project, which will be established in the Al Dhafra region and is considered the first of its kind in the region. The meeting reviewed the efforts made by the Authority to implement the policy of single-use plastic materials, which recently included the implementation of the ban on some Styrofoam products, which came into effect on June 1, 2024, with the aim of reducing reliance on products intended for single use that harm the environment and biodiversity.
During the recent period, the Authority succeeded in avoiding the use of 324 million plastic bags since the start of the ban in June 2022, which is equivalent to approximately 95% of the number of plastic bags that were consumed before the ban, and within the bottle recovery initiative, more than 1,000 tons of bottles were collected. Plastic, through 120 machines spread across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. His Highness was briefed on the Authority’s efforts in the field of protecting environmental quality, as intellectual property rights were registered for the first time for the “Etizam” environmental inspection system, which it launched in October 2022, and it contributes to strengthening the Authority’s regulatory role in preserving the environment and achieving sustainable growth in the emirate. Abu Dhabi, and the first map was issued identifying the most polluted areas based on mathematical modeling of the movement of air pollutants in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and neighboring countries.
During the meeting, the most prominent achievements achieved by the Authority this year in the biodiversity sector were reviewed, as the coral reef rehabilitation project was reviewed, through which the cultivation of 819,580 colonies out of a million colonies was completed. The meeting also discussed a report on the first research mission. In partnership with the Ocean X ship in the country’s waters, with the participation of a number of local universities and an elite group of Emirati researchers.
The achievements of the marine research vessel “Jeon” were also reviewed, which has traveled a distance of 7,540 nautical miles since its launch, as part of the fish resources assessment survey program in the country’s waters, during which it sailed for 223 days and collected 3,103 fish samples. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the important role played by the Authority in hosting the 12th session of the World Conference on Environmental Education for the first time in the Middle East region, in which 3,131 participants from 83 countries from around the world participated within four days of the year. Active discussions, workshops and events.
During the conference, the Abu Dhabi Road Map was revealed, which is considered a high-level plan that outlined global recommendations to promote environmental education and education for sustainable development, with contributions from a group of organizations and institutions concerned with the field of environmental education, which included UNESCO, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the United Nations Programme. UNEP, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Department of Education and Knowledge – Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, in addition to a group of international experts in the field of environmental education.