EAD’s Strategic Plan 2021-2025 comprises seven strategic priorities, supported by four enabling priorities. Below is our Priority 2 along with its sub-priorities:
Priority 2
Sustainably manage our groundwater
1. Conservation and sustainable management of groundwater reserves
2. Soil protection regulations and monitoring
EAD’s 2022 planning and budgeting started on May. The planning aims to continue the efforts to ensure strategic alignment with government plans and to achieve EAD strategic plan 2021-2025.
The Planning and Performance Management team (PPM) conducted for two consecutive days the 2021 Q1 Strategic Performance Meeting. The sub priority owners shared their achievements and highlighted their challenges in their initiatives.
EAD continues to implement a comprehensive plan to develop and protect Al Wathba Fossil Dunes, which includes developing the site’s infrastructure, services and tourism facilities and work to declare the site as a natural reserve to protect the emirate’s natural heritage and encourage eco-tourism.
Fossil dunes are outcrops of lightly cemented, cross-bedded dune sands, formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate and other salts from ground water during the glacial period. The formations in the Al Wathba area derive their shape from the interaction between wind force and sediment supply.
EAD aims to apply the City Biodiversity Index in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is a self-assessment tool for cities worldwide to benchmark and monitor the progress of their biodiversity conservation efforts.
The City Biodiversity Index, also known as the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity aims to help cities achieve a development trajectory where biodiversity and people can thrive in harmony, while addressing biodiversity loss and climate change—all based on the latest scientific data generated during the past decade.
The Environmental Information, Science & Outreach Management Sector (EISOM) continued during the month of May with the virtual environmental talks via Zoom. Various topics were presented such as Waste Management, Get the Blue Flag Awards and Keeping our Environment Clean According to the Japanese Way.
The Public Relations and Communications Division (PRC) started to conduct its first awareness sessions on the new EAD Revised Brand Guidelines. The sessions will continue throughout the month of June. The sessions aim to teach staff about how to use and how to apply the new corporate colours and guidelines to the new PowerPoint, Word and Excel templates. PRC would like to ensure that everybody at EAD understands how to use the new templates correctly. The templates will be available in our EAD Majlis (EAD Intranet) www.intranet.ead.ae in Links You Need, Brand Bank section after the sessions are completed.
The Up4Challenge initiative is an outcome of the EAD Annual Retreat that was held earlier this year. The initiative is overseen by our SG, Dr Shaikha and it is meant to encourage all EAD staff to come up with ideas and be part of an environment that encourages innovation. All ideas received are screened in accordance with set criteria and are presented to our SG on a weekly cycle. Innovative ideas that have potential to improve our processes and challenge ourselves to become a better agency are shared with the committee in charge and higher management. If you have an idea and you would like to be part of it, please send it to Up4Challenge@ead.gov.ae
With the end of the school year right around the corner, it is time to take your kids to visit our EAD booth at KidZania Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. Your kids will enjoy a variety of activities about protecting and conserving our environment. The booth includes green life tips on how to keep our environment safe. Request your complimentary ticket by sending an email to Internal@ead.gov.ae. Share with us your experience by sending photos by email or send us a direct message to the Internal Instagram account @eadFamily.
The Performance Management System is now open for you to upload your annual objectives in the system. Ensure that your objectives are uploaded and approved by your direct manager and director before the deadline, 3 June 2021. You can access the objective setting manual by clicking here .If you need any further assistance in uploading the objectives, kindly contact Ayedha Amer at aamer@ead.gov.ae or Rajesh Babu at Rajesh.Saka@ead.gov.ae or through Microsoft Teams.
EISOM will be launching the first citizen initiative of the Citizen Science Programme by June. What is Citizen Science? It’s creating an environment-centric community that brings likeminded people together to act and make better environment-related decisions. Stay tuned.
“Wild Abu Dhabi; The Turtles of Al Dhafra” was screened in National Geographic Abu Dhabi Channel on May 23. The documentary is an amazing film that focuses on the Hawksbill Turtle and The Giant Green Turtle created by our TBMS team.
The first internal “Ask the Expert” session of 2021 with our colleague, Nessrine Alzahlawi, where she will be explaining about the Grazing in Abu Dhabi and the role of EAD. This session will be from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.
The World Environment Day (WED) is an annual occasion that focuses on the efforts of a pressing environmental issue. This year’s theme is “Ecosystem Restoration”. The WED is a great opportunity for everyone to realise the responsibility to care for our environment.
On this day, we celebrate the role of the oceans in our everyday life and how to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources. This year’s theme is “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”.
The World Sea Turtle Day falls on 16 June every year. Marine turtles comprise seven species, two of them are found in the waters of Abu Dhabi: The Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), we have been monitoring these species for 15 years, which revealed that we have stable populations of both of these species.
| SU | MO | TU | WE | TH | FR | SA |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
Pets should be a member of the family, but unfortunately many people buy or adopt pets just because they look cute when they are little or because their friends got a pet, and they want to do the same, but some people don’t realise the responsibility that it is to care for a pet. A pet is not a toy or a thing that you can buy or adopt and then dispose. A pet is a family member that you need to feed, take it to the veterinary, play with it and provide a good environment in your home. Couple days ago, I got to know about a beautiful little hamster that a mother bought for her kids and because the kids had played enough with the hamster, they got bored, and they decided to take it to the animal shelter. I immediately acted and I adopted it. I have many pets at home that I care and are family members and I was not to allow this beautiful hamster to be sad and wait until someone decides to adopt it or stay there forever. The hamster is a girl, so I named her Fairouz. She is very smart and sweet. For me, my happy moment was to be able to know about her and to be able to provide her a forever home.
Sheereen Jassim Al Sayegh
Senior Specialist – External Communications
Public Relations and Communications.
Did you know that EAD has successfully commenced a major rehabilitation project covering a total of 18 hectares in Jabal Hafit National Park by planting local Samar trees (Acacia tortilis)?
Click here to know more about Samar tree.
What is the most recent documentary that EAD has produced and is now being played in
National Geographic Abu Dhabi?
1. Back to the Wild
2. Wild Abu Dhabi: Turtles of Al Dhafra
3. Our Sea…Our Future
4. Zayed’s Antarctic Lights
If you have any suggestions, comments or want to share news please send an email to internal@ead.gov.ae
