Under the Directives of Hamdan bin Zayed,

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi Issues the Executive Regulations of the Grazing Law in Abu Dhabi to Conserve Wild Plants

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EAD, the Agency issued the executive regulations of Law No. (11) of 2020 regarding the regulation of grazing in Abu Dhabi.

With a mandate to oversee environmental affairs in the emirate, the Agency is responsible for the law’s implementation, which aims to regulate grazing and enhance efforts by the concerned authorities to safeguard protected areas, critical and natural habitats – based on principles of sustainable management. This helps guarantee the conservation of wild plant species from overgrazing and ensure the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in the emirate as well.

As Part of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative and Inspired by the Queen’s Green Canopy Project

EAD and British Embassy Plant 70 Mangrove Saplings at Jubail Island

Emphasising its Important Role in Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change 

As part of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative and inspired by the Queen’s Green Canopy Project, EAD and the British Embassy Abu Dhabi planted 70 mangrove saplings on Jubail Island.

The Queen’s Green Canopy Project is a tree planting initiative created in 2022 to mark the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II, while the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative was launched in February 2022 during a meeting of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi and head of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, and His Royal Highness Prince William, at Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative was established to provide a platform for the development of innovative mangrove planting solutions, while helping mitigate the effects of climate change, and raising awareness of mangroves’ importance and the need to restore them.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Organised a Digital Hiwar Session on ‘The Path to a Nature-Positive Future’

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG), with the support of EAD and in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development hosted by Masdar, held a digital knowledge sharing session on the ‘Path Towards a Nature-Positive Future.’

The session was held on 2^nd March, 2023 in Abu Dhabi to cover the key impacts of the global biodiversity framework – a significant topic of discussion during December’s COP 15 Biodiversity Summit held in Montreal – and how we can contribute practically to delivering to these goals and targets at a local level. 

The Hiwar session recorded an exceptional level of participation from over 200 local and regional sustainability professionals which included ADSG member organisations, sustainability experts, thought leaders and practitioners from the government, private and non-profit sector.

EAD Signs Research Collaboration MoU’s with Eight Major UAE Universities

To enhance and explore bilateral research opportunities, EAD has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with eight major universities based in the UAE.

The universities are Abu Dhabi University; Al Ain University; American University of Sharjah; Khalifa University; New York University Abu Dhabi; Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi; UAE University, and Zayed University, with EAD having future plans of partnering with other research organisations going forward.

The agreements serve as frameworks for collaboration in the field of scientific research for the purpose of closing knowledge gaps. All entities recognise the mutual benefits of collaboration and have set out basic terms and conditions to allow the fast-track development of research projects.

To strengthen the competencies of government employees in green development policies,

EAD and Abu Dhabi School of Government Launch a Joint Initiative

EAD and the Abu Dhabi School of Government (ADSG) and part of the Department of Government Support (DGS) have launched a joint and exceptional initiative to support the development of Abu Dhabi government employees’ competencies in the field of green policies. This initiative will provide skills and knowledge to help achieve sustainable development, and support the UAE’s climate neutrality goals, while helping to prepare a workforce familiar with green concepts, and capable of contributing to sustainable change.

The initiative will witness the participation of various vital sectors in Abu Dhabi and involve five interactive training and awareness programmes launching successively during 2023. These include: ‘The Sustainable Public Policy Programme’, the ‘Masters Scholarships in Environmental Sustainability Programme’, ‘Environmental Awareness for Abu Dhabi Government Employees Programme’, the ‘Government Accelerators Towards Environmental Leadership Programme for Abu Dhabi, and the ‘Environmental Insights for Leaders Programme’.