Abu Dhabi steps up environmental monitoring to safeguard national waters

Abu Dhabi's Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is marking its 30th anniversary, having evolved from ancient traditions of environmental respect into modern conservation efforts. Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, the agency's secretary general, traces the origins of those traditions to a time when survival depended on understanding the limits of the natural world.

The journey began in 1989 with the establishment of the National Avian Research Centre, which focused initially on the houbara bustard, a migratory bird closely linked to the UAE's falconry heritage. The center's work expanded to protect cultural heritage and modernize traditional practices. In recent decades, EAD has achieved significant success in marine conservation.

In 2018, the Sustainable Fisheries Index stood at just 8%, reflecting years of pressure on commercially important fish stocks. By 2025, the index had reached 100%, indicating a successful restoration of fish stocks. This success has been driven by restrictions on certain types of net fishing and traditional fish traps, while still allowing line fishing and a traditional intertidal fish trap called Hadhra.

The restrictions have benefited marine species like turtles, dugongs, and greater flamingos, with turtle numbers increasing by about 30% and dugongs thriving in the emirate's waters. Abu Dhabi's restoration efforts extend to planting and restoring nearly 75 million mangroves and a major coral restoration program cultivating about 1.8 million coral fragments.

Dr Al Dhaheri emphasizes the importance of addressing both local and regional pollution, as well as the need to manage groundwater resources carefully, given Abu Dhabi's significant groundwater resources and the presence of around 118,000 wells across the emirate.