The Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project

Mangroves

Mangroves, an iconic Blue Carbon ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, occupy an estimated 14,117 hectares. They are found in scattered locations throughout the Emirate, particularly around the margins of lagoons and mud banks behind the barrier islands near Abu Dhabi island and on the outer islands. Recognising the importance of mangroves, His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan initiated programmes of mangrove planting to maintain and expand these forests. As a result, Abu Dhabi has the oldest known mangrove restoration and afforestation initiatives anywhere in the world, with some stands in the Eastern Mangrove region being nearly 50 years old. More recent large-scale planting can be seen as an example at Abu Al Abyad. Natural and planted mangroves are fringe forests of the native Avicennia marina (Embabi, 1993), a species able to tolerate the prevailing environmental conditions of high salinity and temperatures and limited freshwater influxes which are present in this part of the Gulf. Rhizophoraceae was identified in charcoal fragments dating back to between 2500 and 4000 years ago (Environmental Agency, 2006).

Most of the mangroves are small (1-3 metres) in comparison to heights in non-arid regions. However the more developed natural ecosystems, as well as the older plantations, are assumed to be delivering a number of other ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration. In general, mangrove afforestation in Abu Dhabi has had good success rates. Those plantations however, where saplings are planted along the same depth contour and in dense configuration, are likely to not deliver the full range of ecosystem services.

Mangroves are the most iconic Blue Carbon ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

© Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan

Photo: Bu Tinah Island, Abu Dhabi.

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