The Magic of Mangroves

ONCE UPON A FOREST Dubai Design Week | 2022

DUBAI DESIGN WEEK

OVERVIEW Mangrove forests are essential habitats for biodiversity and shield the UAE's coastlines f rom storm surges and rising sea levels.

60M mangrove trees cover 183 sq. km across the nation, absorbing 43,000 tons of CO2 every year.

AGENDA To establish the emirate as a global leader in mangrove conservation and resilience research and innovation. Through research and innovation, the initiative will enable the mass scaling of mangrove recovery as a key nature-based solution to biodiversity and climate crises.

THE MAGIC OF MANGROVES Mangroves are found across the coastal shorelines of the 7 Emirates, their most dense population residing at the Abu Dhabi shoreline.

Mangrove presence in these areas has attributed to the ride and maintenance of a number of species such as flamingos, herons, kingfishers, crabs and various other sea animals.

7 MAGICAL FACTS ABOUT MANGROVES IN THE UAE

01 CLIMATE SUPERHEROE As a blue carbon ecosystem, mangroves can be up to 10 times more efficient than terrestrial ecosystems at absorbing and storing carbon long-term, making them a critical solution in the fight against climate change.

BIODIVERSE H A B I TAT

02 Biodiverse Habitat Numerous species above and below the water rely on mangroves for food and shelter. A vast range of wildlife inhabits UAE’s mangroves, including large flocks of flamingos, rare spotted eagles, sooty falcons, scuttling crabs, green turtles, bream, and wild foxes.

GUARDIANS OF THE COAST

03 Guardians of the Coast Mangrove forests — specifically, their thick, impenetrable roots — are vital to shoreline communities as natural buffers against storm surges, an increasing threat in a changing global climate with rising sea levels.

MANGROVE IN THE UAE

04 Mangroves in the UAE 183 sq km 13 Sites

Mangroves

These mangrove forest capture 43,000 tones of CO2 each year.

O U R N AT I O N ' S H E R I TAG E

05 Our Nation’s Heritage Mangrove trees in the UAE are known as “Qurm” and take up 155 sq. km of the UAE’s coastlines. In the past, the local populations depended on mangrove trees as a source of food, fuel, and building materials for houses and ships, due to their durability and high resistance to rotting and termites.

R E STO R AT I O N IS KEY

06 Restoration is Key Mangroves’ dense root systems inhibit the flow of tidal water and encourage the deposition of nutrient-rich sediments. But once lost, mangroves are difficult to replant due to shifts in the sediments the roots helped keep in place.

OUR AMBITIOUS LEGACY

07 Our Ambitious Legacy Understanding the value of nature-based climate change solutions, the UAE raised its pledge of planting 30 million mangroves to 100 million by 2030.

The addition will expand the UAE’s mangrove cover to 483 sq. km and capture 115,000 tons of CO2 yearly.

J O I N T H E C L I M AT E PL E D G E