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Experts call to protect mangroves
posted on 24/12/2001
Environmentalists from around the world discussed threat to mangroves and salt marsh and approaches to regional cooperation on research and development in this area, at the Second International Symposium and Workshop on Arid Zone Environment, which began in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
The three-day event is being organised by Abu Dhabi-based Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA), in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), and Japan Oil Development Company (Jodco), according to reports in the UAE's dailies.
In his opening address, Majid Al Mansouri, Acting Secretary- General of ERWDA, said mangrove forests are one of the most productive and bio-diverse wetlands on earth, yet these unique coastal tropical forests are among the most threatened habitat in the world. Unfortunately they may be disappearing more quickly than inland tropical rainforests, and so far, with little public notice, he said. He said in recent years, pressures of increasing population food production, urban and industrial development, oil pollution had led to a significant proportion of world's mangrove being destroyed. There are around 68 species of mangrove found in different parts of the world. They can be found in 112 countries with an area of approximately 181,000sqkm covered with mangroves.
Around 42 per cent of mangroves grow in South and South East Asia, 27 per cent in Americas, 16 per cent in West Africa, 10 per cent in Australia, 6 per cent in East Africa and the Middle East. In the United Arab Emirates about 2,930 hectares are covered with mangroves and Avicennia marina is the only native mangrove species growing in the UAE.
With the leadership strongly committed to environment and wildlife protection and conservation, inspired by the President H. H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, many programmes and projects were conducted by various environmental agencies to protect and develop mangrove, Al Mansouri said. He said in this context, ERWDA implemented a number of programmes, where a large-scale mangrove development project along the coastal zones of Abu Dhabi was launched in coordination with Jodco.
A team of experts from ERWDA and from International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISMES) successfully completed a survey in Abu Dhabi and decided to establish an inter-tidal nursery to provide stock for doing plantation in suitable areas. The objectives were to help increase biological resources, beautify Abu Dhabi's landscape, enhance existing ecosystems, increase carbon dioxide fixation and save freshwater resources by utilising salt water.
The mangrove nursery was established near Maqta Bridge in October 1999, and is monitored by ERWDA. Another part of agency's mangrove programme is optimisation of nursery and planting practices, for native (Avecinnia marina) and non-native species, in addition to agency's research project conducted in collaboration with ICBA (Dubai) to investigate growth response of several non-native mangroves to a range of water salinities. Al Mansouri said organising this symposium under the theme "Research and Management Options for Mangrove and Salt Marsh Ecosystems” aims at highlighting the importance of these ecosystems. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
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