Emirates … leading initiatives to protect coral reefs and increase their area
Abu Dhabi, May 17 / WAM / The UAE continues its leading environmental initiatives to protect coral reefs from threat and extinction by adopting projects and programs that contribute to increasing their spaces and protecting them for future generations.
The coral reefs are a safe haven for marine creatures that provide food and protection for them and their youngsters. It is also an important tributary to support the fish stock, as well as its role in protecting the beaches from corrosion and supporting the commercial fishing profession, and many recreational and tourism activities.
The UAE recently announced giant projects to cultivate coral reefs, through which it embodied its commitment to innovative natural solutions to enhance the sustainability of biological diversity and achieve a balance between development and nature preservation.
In this context, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the representative of the ruler in the Al Dhafra region, Chairman of the Environment – Abu Dhabi, directed the expansion of the authority’s project to rehabilitate coral reefs in Abu Dhabi by cultivating more than 4 million coral colonies in the emirate’s waters by 2030, to cover an area estimated at more than 900 hectares, which makes it the largest project to rehabilitate the rehabilitation of rehabilitation. Coils in the world.
During the last period, the authority succeeded in reaching the goal of rehabilitating a million coral colonies in 8 different locations in the emirate, with a total area of more than 300 hectares, which increased the area of coral reefs in Abu Dhabi, and the areas that were rehabilitated have witnessed a success rate exceeding 95%.
On May 5, the commission announced the launch of the “Abu Dhabi Al -Marjania Gardens” initiative, which is the largest of its kind in the Middle East, with the aim of protecting the marine environment and enhancing biological diversity in the emirate.
The initiative, which is implemented between 2025 and 2030, aims to create coral gardens by landing 40,000 environmentally friendly artificial installations with various designs and sizes that support the growth of marine organisms. These gardens extend over an area of 1,200 square kilometers, within the coastal and deep water in Abu Dhabi, especially in the areas that lack coral reefs or seaweed.
According to the authority, artificial tunnels have proven effective in attracting marine organisms at three times the levels of natural coral reefs, which contributes to the production of more than 5 million kilograms annually of fish.
For its part, the Sharjah Fish Resources Authority launched, on May 13, the “Khorfakkan” project, in cooperation with the private sector, after conducting an accurate environmental survey of the sea bottom in one of the vital sites in the city, as part of the experimental phase of the project that aims to study the effectiveness of artificial caves in providing safe and attractive naval habitats for marine creatures.
The “Khorfakkan” project represents a qualitative step towards the development and sustainability of fish wealth in the emirate, by providing various marine environments that encourage fish reproduction and enhance biological diversity.
In turn, the Emirate of Dubai witnessed last November, the launch of the first phase of the “Dubai Corner” project, which included installing the first 1,000 units of marine reefs designed for this purpose, out of 20 thousand units that will be installed over a period of 3 years.
The “Dubai Corner” project extends over an area of 600 square kilometers in the territorial waters of Dubai, and contributes to supporting global efforts to preserve the environment, promote biological diversity, preserve marine and coastal habitats in Dubai, develop fish stocks, and protect the environmental system.
In addition, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launched many programs and initiatives to stabilize and cultivate coral reefs in the country in coordination and cooperation with the competent authorities in each emirate, and it also implemented a research project to cultivate 24 types of corals in the coast of the state, which has been working to develop and enhance their capabilities to adapt to the repercussions of climate change.
The Ministry prepared a map for the geographical distribution of coral reefs along the coastal strip of the state, through which 210 sites were monitored for the presence of coral reefs and recorded more than 55 types of solid corals.
The Ministry implemented the first phase of its initiative to deploy new coral gardens in the marine environment, which it announced in early 2018 by establishing 3 coral gardens with an area of 850 square meters distributed to both the Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman.
In cooperation with the Fujairah Adventure Center, the Ministry launched during the year 2018 the Fujairah Gardens for Reefs, which aims to cultivate 1.5 million coral colonies.
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