Abu Dhabi: A new ecological report has identified 18 key coastal marine vegetation areas in the UAE for their critical ability to absorb greenhouse gases and improve water quality.

An abundance of mangroves and seagrass areas known in scientific parlance as Blue Carbon areas need to be conserved and studied if the UAE is to stave off surging carbon monoxide levels and impending climate change, said the report.

Described as national treasures, the mangroves of the UAE were identified across three key areas in the Sea of Oman (Kalba) of Sharjah emirate (four), in the Arabian Gulf of the northern emirates (six) and in the Abu Dhabi emirate (eight).

The report was launched at the 11th edition of the Ecocity World Summit 2015 on Monday in Abu Dhabi by the Ministry of Environment and Water in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) and Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD).

The ministry said yesterday, “Blue Carbon refers to coastal vegetation, which studies have shown can sequester carbon far more effectively than terrestrial forests. As such, conserving these important ecosystems is one of the most promising new ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, and limit global climate change. Blue Carbon ecosystems can be found all over the world, and in the UAE are made up of mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and saltwater marshlands, which serve as carbon sinks.”

Dr Rashid Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, said: “The National Blue Carbon Project report aims to broaden the scope of knowledge of blue carbon, its associated ecosystem services and the importance of assessment across coastal environments. This project is the first of its kind in the region and looks towards strengthening the UAE’s leading position in issues concerning the environment, biodiversity and climate change at both regional and global levels.”

Bin Fahd noted that by helping the contribution of ecosystems in carbon stocks by 2021 to help mitigate climate change will boost marine and coastal ecosystems’ ability to absorb greenhouse gases.

He said that coastal mangroves have a better ability to absorb carbon monoxide than any other source and fit well within the UAE Green Growth Strategy.

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General of EAD, said in a statement: “Coastal ecosystems are an extremely important part of our culture and heritage, and they must be protected to safeguard our future — and this is something that can only be facilitated with access to timely, actionable information. This collaborative project is a reflection of a shared commitment to helping guide decision-making towards environmental sustainability across the UAE, and for generations to come.”

Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the launch on Monday during the Ecocity World Summit 2015, Dr Stephen Crooks, Director of Climate Change Services for Environmental Science Associates, USA, and one of the project’s principal investigators, said: “It is also spiritually enlightening to have mangroves in the ecosystems around you.”

“Historically, people in the region had a lot of connections to the coast before the UAE was industrialised. The new generation seems to want to get back more from the environment that they used to have and so by recognising these benefits there will be better planning in the future hopefully,” he said.

The project is a continuation of a prior study, the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project (Phase I), which illustrated the full potential of coastal ecosystems for carbon storage and other benefits.

Maisoon Mubarak is a trainee at Gulf News.