Climate change mitigation in the limelight: UAE deepens focus on mangroves and sustainable finance
UAE hosted COP28 Summit in Dubai last November, luring hundreds of participants from across the globe. The annual climate conference reached a historic consensus to ensure a just and effective energy transition for climate change mitigation.
The climate crisis has turned into one of the biggest threats humans have ever faced. The anthropogenic problem is elevating temperatures in different countries and triggering natural disasters such as storms and floods of much higher intensity.
One of mangroves’ biggest strengths is carbon sequestration
The UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment recently said that July 26 marks the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem – a day aimed at highlighting the immense value of mangroves in safeguarding the planet’s health.
Mangroves are regularly referred to as a “nature-based solution” – one that leverages the strengths that already exist in nature to mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change. In addition, they also provide many livelihood opportunities for local communities.
One of mangroves’ biggest strengths lies in their ability to capture and store carbon. The amount of carbon stored beneath these trees is estimated to be up to four times greater than that stored by other tropical forests, making these coastal forests extremely valuable.
UAE on a journey to plant 100 million mangroves
The Emirati minister highlighted that the UAE’s mangroves are integral to its climate mitigation objectives and a significant resource for achieving the Net Zero by 2050 goal, noting that these plant species are threatened by rising sea levels, habitat destruction and pollution.
In COP26, the UAE began a journey to plant 100 million mangroves across the country by the end of the decade. In the next climate conference, the nation further cemented its commitment to mangroves by launching the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC).
The Minister also underscored the recently announced Mohamed bin Zayed – Joko Widodo International Mangrove Research Centre in Bali, Indonesia. The facility is expected to be a game changer in mangrove cultivation and restoration globally.
UAE’s plan to address sustainable financing gap
During his participation in the COP28-G20 Conference on Sustainable Finance, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs emphasised that finance has been key for enabling climate action across the globe.
He announced the UAE’s plan to address the financing gap by the Emirati banks offering sustainable financing by 2030 and contributing to the International Monetary Fund for resilience and sustainability to support countries vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
READ MORE : Scientists find ‘Dark Oxygen’ 13,000 feet under the sea: Could it solve mysteries?
