Mays Ibrahim (Abu Dhabi)
The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), in partnership with the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is hosting the Fifth SSC Leaders' Meeting from October 25 to 28.
This marks 15 years since the first SSC Leaders Meeting was hosted in Al Ain in 2008.
In her opening remarks on Friday, Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General, EAD, noted that this gathering stands as a testament to the evolving partnership between Abu Dhabi and the SSC.
The discussions are expected to shape the SSC’s plan for the next quadrennium and provide essential updates to the Nature 2030 Programme, ahead of the next World Conservation Congress, according to Dr. Al Dhaheri.
“IUCN is recognised globally for its knowledge products such as Red Listing and as species experts, you carry a crucial responsibility to advance species conservation, especially in regions that lack the capacity and resources,” she said.
“Establishing Centres for Species Survival is a positive step forward, and I am pleased to learn that 20 such centres have been set up.”
The Fifth SSC Leaders' Meeting gathers over 300 experts in species conservation, backed by the SSC’s vast network of over 10,000 members and nearly 200 specialist groups.
Dr. Al Dhaheri said: “Though we face large-scale species extinctions, our collective efforts can change this trajectory. Together, we can protect, restore, and reverse the fortunes of many species.”
Abu Dhabi Leading Conservative Efforts
Dr. Al Dhaheri highlighted successful conservation initiatives lead by Abu Dhabi, including the restoration of the Arabian oryx and houbara.
“The scimitar-horned oryx reintroduction in Chad is another noteworthy example of that. The restoration programme we started along with our partners, precisely a decade ago has been hugely successful with over 650 individuals in the wild in Chad, leading to improvement in its conservation status,” she said.
Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral reef rehabilitation project, initiated in 2021, is the world’s largest of its kind, with over one million coral fragments planted and a survival rate exceeding 95% post-summer.
This project has also contributed to a 50% increase in fish biomass and biodiversity, aligning with the goals of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy, according to Dr. Al Dhaheri.
She also highlighted the findings of EAD’s mangrove mapping and characterisation study, which revealed that the mangrove cover in Abu Dhabi increased from 91.5 sqkm in 1987 to 176 sqkm in 2020.
In 2022, EAD together with the Zoological Society of London launched the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), a platform for all coastal ecosystem and nature-based solutions programmes in Abu Dhabi.
“Our newly opened Plant Genetics Resources Centre has over 4000 native herbarium collection of which 3000 are fully digitised and have over 500 accessions of 105 native plant species and have cryopreserved over 100 species and have undertaken sequencing of the six threatened species,” Dr. Al Dhaheri said.
EAD also launched UAE’s first and Middle East’s most advanced research vessel, Jaywun in 2023.
“It has successfully completed 10 scientific studies, collected over 3,500 samples, trained 40 young UAE nationals, and covered 30,000km, significantly enhancing data-driven strategies for climate change mitigation through comprehensive marine research,” Dr. Al Dhaheri noted.
As the Fifth SSC Leaders' Meeting unfolds, Dr. Al Dhaheri expressed hope that the discussions will translate into meaningful actions for species conservation.
She recalled the last SSC Leaders Meeting in 2019, which resulted in "The Abu Dhabi Call for Global Species Conservation Action", paving the way for the Global Species Action Plan launched in 2023.