July 22, 2022 | DP World Ghaf Seed Harvesting

July 7, 2022 | Desert Control Ghaf Tree planting

June 17th 2022, DUBAI UAE: “Rising up from drought together”, is this year’s theme of the International Day Against desertification, and drought with the emphasis on the need of early action to avoid disastrous consequences for humanity and the planets ecosystems.

The issue of desertification is not new, when the land degrades and stops being productive, natural spaces deteriorate and transform. Thus, greenhouse gas emissions increase and biodiversity decreases. It also means there are fewer wild spaces to buffer zoonoses, such as COVID-19, and protect us from extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, and sand and dust storms.

According to the UN, no country is immune to drought (UN-Water 2021) and the number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the previous decades (WMO 2021). It is troubling to know that more and more of us will be living in areas with extreme water shortages.

Over the years, government, non-government, and private organisations have been taking measures to secure the future of trees and soil through reforestation, tree regeneration and water management — saving, reuse of treated water, desalination, or direct use of seawater for salt-loving plants.

Goumbook, a UAE-based social enterprise, launched the “Give a Ghaf” tree planting program as a not-for-profit initiative in 2010 to raise awareness about the problem. As a result, since inception:

• 122,000 seeds and trees have been planted
• 25,000 volunteers have been engaged in planting activities
• More than 250 Companies and 35 education institutions have supported the initiative on multiple occasions throughout the years.
• More than 550 planting activities.

“Through the Give A Ghaf campaign citizens are urged to plant native tree species to combat desertification and to preserve their country’s heritage through problem-solving, strong community involvement and co-operation at all levels” Says Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder & Managing Director at Goumbook.

Considered the UAE’s National Tree, Ghaf trees hold great promise for combating desertification thanks to its unique qualities.  Ghaf trees have deep and broad root system meaning it can grow in extremely harsh conditions and help combat desertification. Its can also fix nitrogen and improve soil fertility naturally. The tree helps in the reclamation of areas lost to desertification.

The World Day to Combat Desertification is celebrated in every country on 17 June, following a 1995 decision by the UN General Assembly to raise global awareness about desertification, land degradation and drought. On this unique day, Goumbook is calling on all members of the community to treat the land as a limited and precious natural resource and plant more trees. Everyone has a role to play because everyone has a stake in the future.

About Us 

Goumbook is the leading social enterprise promoting sustainable living and green practices in the UAE and beyond since 2009. As a social enterprise, Goumbook aims for high impact change in its community.

Give a Ghaf is a tree & seed planting initiative launched in 2010 that raises awareness about the local environment, water scarcity, indigenous plants, and trees. We concentrate on the Ghaf tree, because it is the best example of the harsh desert climate interwoven with the history and culture of this new country, being the national tree of the UAE.

June 2, 2022 | Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers Ghaf seed planting

Sessions and workshops are held in hotels and resorts over the weekend, which are also often clubbed with planning sessions and goal-setting activities. However, times have changed over the last few decades and there are many different activities where collaboration efforts can be designed in a more impactful way  – which is good for the staff and good for the environment too.

Goumbook has been designing personalized team building activities for organizations across the UAE in more than 10 years, along with awareness and education talks. Our tree planting activities through the Give a Ghaf campaign, has engaged many of our participants to connect and collaborate intuitively with peers.

The fact is that when we engage with our fellow workers in a common goal that is greater than our personal issues and concerns, the team develops feelings of cooperation and unity even more naturally. Moreover, their love for nature and our planet which is inherent in everyone, becomes more apparent. It only needs to be brought forward through engaging activities.

Our beach clean-up activity, under the Save the Butts initiative, almost always get a high turnout and rate of participation from employees. They do understand that being by the beach is relaxing, but apart from that, they take part in keeping them clean. Nothing can be more motivating and inspiring than a day spent with nature. Isn’t that right?

Another activity is our Climate Fresk workshop which has earned the interest of our stakeholders as the topic on climate change becomes more relevant. This activity has become especially important when educating and raising awareness about climate change among employees and get them around to supporting the company’s sustainability goals.

As businesses today realize the necessity and urgency of shifting to new business models that incorporate an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) approach, it becomes more appropriate to design team building programs that are not only cost-effective, saving resources for the company, but also meaningful and impactful. 

Times are truly changing, and social gatherings with heightened awareness in terms of social and environmental value often leave a stronger and longer imprint in staff’s memories.