Not many people know that the Abu Dhabi emirate houses more than 200 islands that are scattered in the waters around the main island. So exploring Abu Dhabi need not be confined to the Capital’s streets.
The majority of the islands are plane, sandy and uninhabited, but each has its own character of flora and fauna.
Both Saadiyat Island and Yas Island on the outskirts of the Capital are being developed, and Saadiyat Island will soon become the cultural capital of Abu Dhabi, while Yas Island is home to Yas Marina Circuit.
The construction developments have marred the flora of the islands but the authorities promised to replace each uprooted mangrove or a tree on the island by planting 10, and they did keep their word by planting over 800,000 mangroves in Saadiyat and Jubail islands in Abu Dhabi. Saadiyat Island is being transformed into a tourist and cultural destination by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), and will be ready by 2020.
The majority of the islands are plane, sandy and uninhabited, but each has its own character of flora and fauna.
Both Saadiyat Island and Yas Island on the outskirts of the Capital are being developed, and Saadiyat Island will soon become the cultural capital of Abu Dhabi, while Yas Island is home to Yas Marina Circuit.
The construction developments have marred the flora of the islands but the authorities promised to replace each uprooted mangrove or a tree on the island by planting 10, and they did keep their word by planting over 800,000 mangroves in Saadiyat and Jubail islands in Abu Dhabi. Saadiyat Island is being transformed into a tourist and cultural destination by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), and will be ready by 2020.In fact, mangroves help reduce the effects of coastal developments that take place and mitigate the degradation and loss of habitat as well as provide nutrients to fish and animals.
According to Thabit Al Abdessalaam, Director of the Biodiversity Management Sector at the Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi, the emirate has the second highest number of mangroves areas in the GCC region after Iran.
Currently, mangrove covers 72 square kilometres in the emirate of Abu Dhabi including areas with sparse patches and plantation, while Iran has 90sqkm of mangroves area, Al Abdessalaam said.
EAD regularly encourages developers to repair the affected areas by undertaking extensive mangrove plantation. Dr Himanshu Das, scientist of endangered species and habitat programme of the EAD, said Saadiyat Island encompasses only 50,000-60,000 mangrove saplings out of the total number of trees planted, while rest are nested in Jubail Island. Both Islands are located on the outskirts of the Capital.
“The primary objective of this project was to provide larger mangrove cover to Abu Dhabi’s coastline by changing sparse patches of mangroves to a more dense mangrove cover,” Al Abdessalaam said.
“There exist several potential areas for mangrove plantation that will enhance the overall value of our coastal resources. The emirate of Abu Dhabi is rapidly developing and coastal development is on the rise. The EAD is being proactive by planting 800,000 mangrove saplings to preserve our emirate’s fragile coastal biodiversity and preserve a share of our heritage,” Al Abdessalaam said.
Mangroves protect the beach from erosion caused by waves and ocean currents. They have provided sustenance (to species such as fish, shellfish, and crab), and shelter (timber) and energy (fuel) to humans since ancient times, said Al Abdessalaam.
Until recently, poles made of mangrove wood — being tough and termite resistant — were extensively used as building material in the Arabian Peninsula.
Bu Tinah Island — a contender for the international Seven Wonders of Nature competition — is home to dense mangrove forests, which are among the best-preserved in the world.
According to Al Abdessalaam, the EAD recently succeeded in reintroducing the mangrove species “rhizophora mucronata”, which once thrived in the UAE and became extinct 100 years ago due to overexploitation. The reintroduction of the species took place in Ras Ghanada Island.
The Eastern Mangrove Lagoon is the mangrove forest closest to Abu Dhabi city. This unique ecological hotspot is being rebranded as the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park, the first of five national parks identified in Abu Dhabi Plan 2030
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