ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) have signed a new agreement to ensure the best use of Abu Dhabi’s natural resources.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) comes in line with the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, to foster effective cooperation on ground water, soil, and biodiversity projects to protect the natural environment in support of the emirate’s sustainable development.
The partnership was signed in the presence of Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of EAD and Chairperson of ICBA, by Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, the Secretary General of EAD, and Her Excellency Dr Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA, in the presence of both entities’ executive management teams.
This singing ceremony came after Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri toured the ICBA headquarter to view the latest agricultural innovations and technologies, and to learn about the centre's initiatives and projects in the field of modern biosaline agriculture.
Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak said: "For over two decades, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi has been a steadfast supporter of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture. Our collective endeavours have significantly advanced sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. This new MoU reinforces our shared commitment to tackling critical challenges such as water scarcity, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. I am confident that our ongoing collaboration will yield meaningful advancements in environmental sustainability, further strengthening the UAE's leadership in these essential domains."
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri said: “I was pleased to learn about the achievements made by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in the field of developing saline agriculture, increasing crop productivity, and overcoming agricultural challenges in terms of soil quality and water availability, which is aligned with what we do at the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi. Through this partnership, we have an extensive list of projects we will be launching – all with the greater goal of ensuring that we are meeting the sustainable developments goals of Abu Dhabi in line with the vision of our leadership.
“Whether we are working on nature resource management, agricultural and habitat rehabilitation, soil protection or species conservation, as well as conducting research and instigating educational awareness programmes, our joint goal is to ensure that future generations have ample resources and environmental continuity to help them lead healthy lives.”
Her Excellency Dr Tarifa Alzaabi said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi to explore and implement new projects to safeguard some of the essential natural resources such as soil, water and groundwater in the UAE. The strategic partnership of more than 20 years between EAD and ICBA has advanced the missions of both organisations and has been behind several natural resource conservation initiatives in Abu Dhabi. This new MoU will allow us to do much more together and further support Abu Dhabi’s environmental protection.”
The MoU is intended to facilitate the collaboration of both parties to jointly explore, design and implement specific projects, such as the use of green energy innovations in forestry and green areas. The objective is to reduce the negative impacts associated with traditional energy sources, like fossil fuels, in operating irrigation systems. The agreement also aims to monitor rangelands and rehabilitate sites to enhance biomass for livestock and wildlife.
Both signatories will also share data, enabling them to leverage ICBA’s available maps and data and integrate them into EAD’s own proprietary information for enhanced analysis. The wide-ranging cooperation also includes seed sharing and exchange, with a focus on native plants from Abu Dhabi and other areas of the United Arab Emirates, promoting diversity through exchange programmes. Similarly, EAD and ICBA will conduct research on drought-resistant species to identify plants that can enhance habitat restoration efforts and will leverage ICBA’s research on marginal lands to minimise water resource use, while also building capacity by developing skills in modern irrigation systems, water management, and harvesting programmes.
The entities will also adopt advanced technologies and best practices for efficient water use and deploy remote-sensing and drone technologies to monitor habitats and assess environmental quality. The partnership will develop applied research on reject brine from desalination, investigate on hydroponics and best practices for managing forage crops to optimise groundwater use, and conduct biochar research on remediating contaminated land and study the substance’s effects on the presence of heavy metals in soil.
Furthermore, both parties will study the use of biochar in reducing water requirements and carbon sequestration in soil, and study its long-term impact on soil biodiversity, natural vegetation, and wild plant species. Additionally, EAD and ICBA will share expertise and build capacity in the fields of gene sequencing, data analysis, and in understanding the relationship between genetic information and plant characteristics and performance.
The MoU also involves restoration programmes for dryland-adapted varieties of native plant species and collaboration on the integration of UAV technologies into these programmes. To enhance educational awareness, both EAD and ICBA will cooperate on developing interactive electronic educational resources with a focus on topics related to land degradation and strategies for its prevention. They will also partner on planning initiatives, and in research projects, conducting and publishing the project outcomes to support the preservation of a sustainable environment and explore environmental issues of local and regional significance.