Hamdan bin Zayed: The Environment Agency seeks to lead Abu Dhabi globally as a healthy and vibrant city. He chaired the meeting of the Board of Directors and reviewed the achievements during 2022

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, directed the necessity of continuing the efforts made by the Authority to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position on the map of environmental action and to continue to play its leading role in the field of environmental studies and research, which enhances its capabilities in the field of Protecting the environment and preserving natural resources and biodiversity to achieve sustainable development.

His Highness pointed out that the authority, which always looks forward to the future, has no limits to its ambitions in preserving the environment, thanks to which it has achieved important achievements that left local and regional echoes, and won recognition from the most prominent international environmental institutions and organizations, among which was the selection of the authority’s programs for the rehabilitation of coastal and marine ecosystems in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year was among the top 10 global initiatives to restore and rehabilitate ecosystems by the United Nations Environment Programme.

His Highness said that the authority seeks to achieve the emirate’s directions and aspirations for Abu Dhabi to lead the global scene as a city that looks forward to the future and enjoys a healthy and vital environment for future generations, through the implementation of the plans and initiatives that it identified in its institutional strategy 2021-2025, and in the Environmental Centennial 2071 that it launched during the year. It included a comprehensive and flexible environmental vision that charts future prospects for the next five decades and provides a balanced development model that takes into account nature and achieves green development and environmentally friendly knowledge and technological progress.

This came during His Highness’s chairmanship of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, which was held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, in the presence of Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defense Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Authority, Maryam bint Muhammad Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Mugheer Khamis. Al Khaili, Head of the Community Development Department, Falah Muhammad Al Ahbabi, Head of the Municipalities and Transport Department, Major General Staff Pilot Fares Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Authority, and Ahmed Saqr Al Suwaidi, CEO of ADNOC Maritime.

The meeting was also attended by Ahmed Matar Al Dhaheri, Director of the Office of His Highness the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and Dr. Sheikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Authority.

During the meeting, the most important achievements of the authority during the year 2022 were reviewed, as His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed that these achievements would not have been achieved without the diligent follow-up, visions and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” and his support. The continuous effort that enabled the authority to achieve excellence and environmental leadership.

The meeting reviewed the most prominent of these achievements, including the authority’s achievements in the field of protecting biological diversity, as the authority issued more than 2,700 falconry licenses during the current season, after the immediate service for issuing licenses for traditional hunting (falconry) was activated, through the Abu Dhabi government services system. Consolidated “Done”.

The new marine and terrestrial species discovered by the authority during the past year were also highlighted, and they included the first discovery of a new type of stingray in the world during the fish stock survey, and (4) new species were recorded for the first time in the world in several nature reserves belonging to For the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, it included two types of small bee flies, namely (Leylaiya citrina) from Al Bidda Reserve, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, Barqa Al Suqur Reserve, and (Leylaiya medioccipitalis) from Al Bidda Reserve and Al Tawi Reserve. Two types of small wasps were also discovered: (Epoligosita arabica) in Houbara (Ufens curvipenis) sanctuary in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve.

The meeting also dealt with the success achieved by the authority in cultivating more than 4,000 oysters during the past year, within an experimental farm that was established to produce freshwater pearl oysters in Al Faya, within the framework of a project aimed at cultivating 10,000 oysters by 2024, which will enhance studies and research in the field. Cultivation of this type of oyster.

At the end of 2022, the authority also recorded a noticeable increase in the landing of the main fish species in the emirate compared to 2022, thanks to the decisions and procedures related to fishing taken by the authority to protect fish stocks.

The Authority’s efforts to produce seedlings of local plant species were also reviewed within the local plant nursery in the Al Dhafra region, as well as the numbering of 3,500 Ghaf and Samar trees for the first time in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in continuation of the local tree numbering program launched by the Authority during the year 2021.

Council members learned about the roles and tasks of the research ship, which is a mobile marine research center to conduct scientific studies, enhance understanding of marine habitats and key indicators of aquatic life, including turtles and dugongs, as well as supporting fisheries and monitoring fish stocks. ​

The authority’s first atmospheric research expedition on board a marine research vessel, which was developed by the authority and was equipped with advanced monitoring equipment installed and operated by researchers from the Climate and Atmospheric Research Center of the Cyprus Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, was also highlighted. It is considered the first of its kind in the world, as it covered three continents and eight major bodies of water, with the participation of 30 researchers who conducted research on air quality, climate and plastic pollution.

The Board of Directors also reviewed the achievements in the field of environmental quality, as the authority issued 1,536 environmental licenses for 841 industrial establishments, 282 commercial and 413 development projects, and a review of 250 environmental studies was conducted.

The Authority’s inspection team also conducted 1,056 inspection visits to the industrial, development and commercial sectors, with an environmental compliance rate of 97%.

The Authority has also succeeded in reducing the time period for the inspection process by 80%, thanks to the new electronic inspection system “Etizam”.

And done