SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
On June 5 of each year, countries across the globe celebrate World Environment Day to raise awareness of the importance of taking real action for the protection of the environment. The day has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since its inception in 1973.
Supported by many non-governmental organisations, businesses, and government entities, the day brings together millions of people from more than 150 countries around the world.
On the local front, Emirates Nature-WWF, established 24 years ago, is taking the day to continue its work in support of nature conservation in the UAE.
According to Marina Antonopoulou, Chief Conservation Officer at Emirates Nature-WWF, the threat of climate change and nature loss should be at the forefront of all environmental efforts.
“The climate crisis and nature loss are posing great challenges to humanity. Climate crisis has already negatively impacted all regions, which will worsen with additional warming increments. The UAE is no exception,” Antonopoulou said.
“We are already experiencing the effects of climate change, which materialises as hot weather, extended summers, and more extreme weather events. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) anticipates that climate change will lead to more frequent and intense weather conditions, such as droughts, floods, hurricanes and dust storms, and related disasters that expose people and infrastructure to risk,” she added.
Explaining the science behind these environmental issues, Antonopoulou said that human activities are causing more greenhouse gas emissions, entrapping the sun’s heat and warming the planet. This human-centred process inhibits nature’s ability to mitigate climate change, she said.
The UAE, however, has a unique natural line of defence against climate change in its abundant “blue carbon” ecosystems, which include mangroves and seagrasses. These ecosystems actively sequester carbon, and serve as a cost-effective coastal defence against rising sea levels and inundation.
Antonopoulou also noted several measures being taken to preserve the UAE’s natural habitats and biodiversity, stating: “As part of UAE’s flagship NbS project, ‘Nature-based Solutions for Climate, Biodiversity & People,’ Emirates Nature-WWF focusses on protecting, restoring and managing coastal ecosystems, to support climate change mitigation, enhance biodiversity and open up new benefits for people – essentially, unlocking finance towards ecosystem protection, blue carbon, ecotourism, and food security, among others.”
According to Antonopoulou, Emirates Nature-WWF is restoring 50,000 mangrove trees in the UAE, and is working to increase community reslience in the Northern Emirates through agroecology, sustainable farming, moringa promotion, ecotourism, and market innovation.
Community involvement is essential for environmental conservation efforts, Antonopoulou said, adding that the Emirates Nature-WWF works to unite the community in environmental protection efforts by mobilising youth, civil society, local communities, and stakeholders like local government, rural farmers, and entrepreneurs.
“Since the launch of Leaders of Change in 2021, our community of over 4,000 changemakers has contributed over 17,500 hours to protecting nature. They have collected, surveyed, and safely disposed of over 3,500kg of litter from our natural environment and recorded over 7,000 nature observations across the UAE,” she explained.
Governmental policies also play a huge role in shaping the UAE’s approach to environmental protection, Antonopoulou said.
“Across our projects, we work closely with the government to advance solutions on the ground while also contributing insights to national and emirate-level strategies and plans, including the Umm Al Quwain Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy 2031, the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy, the UAE’s NDCs, NBSAP and First Long-Term Strategy (LTS), among others.”
Water conservation is another important portion of the UAE’s environmental protection efforts, Antonopoulou explained, stating: “We live in a part of the world where freshwater supplies are scarce and limited. Therefore, we are looking into cultivating drought-resilient crops that require less water, like the native shu’a or Arabian Moringa tree, as well as saline-tolerant plants like halophytes, which can grow without freshwater. We are currently innovating local food products that can be produced from the halophytes (salt tolerant plants) Salicornia and Arthrocaulon, which are safe for consumption, nutritious, and versatile as ingredients.”
World Environment Day calls on everyone to foster the restoration and prosperity of nature, Antonopoulou said. “If we protect nature, nature can protect us.”