In a significant stride towards a more sustainable future, Goumbook officially partnered with the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department to undertake a groundbreaking mangrove rehabilitation and afforestation project in Ajman’s Al Zorah Reserve.

The momentous Memorandum of Understanding was sealed on the 30th of August,  in a ceremony attended by esteemed officials from both sides. His Excellency Abdulrahman Muhammad Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, signed on behalf of the Municipality, while Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook, represented the company.

Highlighting the department’s commitment to enhancing the Emirate’s green spaces, His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi emphasized the importance of creating a city known for its nature, beauty, and sustainable development. He underlined the significance of preserving the country’s identity through projects that expand cooperation with leading environmental and sustainability companies.

Tatiana Antonelli Abella expressed her appreciation and conveyed Goumbook’s commitment to biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and climate action: “We are honoured to work with Ajman Municipality to bring this ambitious project to life. Our efforts reflect our commitment to enhancing biodiversity, nature-based solutions and climate action to transform an essential habitat for mangrove trees and unlocking their powerful benefits for climate, biodiversity, people and the economy.’’

The project will provide a unique platform for the development of innovative solutions for land rehabilitation in coastal areas, raising awareness on the importance of mangrove ecosystems while strengthening Ajman’s position as a sustainable tourism destination as well as a research and innovation centre for mangrove conservation. At the same time, the partnership signifies a shared commitment to biodiversity preservation, active engagement of relevant authorities in safeguarding natural heritage, community empowerment, and job creation.

This partnership aims at supporting Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ‘Climate Action’, and also supports national initiatives including the UAE Net Zero by 2050 climate neutrality strategic initiative, which aligns with the UAE’s goal of planting 100 million mangroves by 2030.

Efforts to restore mangroves in the UAE date back to the 1970s, when the Founder of the Nation, the late Sheikh Zayed, launched an extensive afforestation programme to plant mangroves on the country’s beaches. Back in 2020, the “Mangrove Carbon Sequestration Pilot Study” was carried out by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to assess soil carbon sequestration rates in mangrove forests in the UAE, revealing their ability to store carbon at a rate of 0.5 tons per hectare per year, equivalent to one tonne of carbon for every 5,000 mangrove trees.

In December 2022, Goumbook joined the National Sequestration Program under the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, promoting nature-based solutions and working alongside the Private Sector to reduce the effects and adapt to climate change. Nature-based solutions, including those involving mangroves, have the potential to supply over a third of our climate mitigation needs and build resilience to the effects of climate change.

More information about the project will be shared in the coming weeks/ months. For all entities interested in joining forces, please email us at Ask@goumbook.com

Existing regulations placed by the ISA state that either the countries implement a moratorium on deep-sea mining so that scientists can continue researching the environmental impacts of this practice, or they issue regulations which would ban it altogether. The current standing reflects that 19 countries have agreed to either ban deep-sea mining or put a moratorium on it. Over 700 scientists from over 40 countries will be coming to Jamaica to study the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. 

• 4 of the 21 countries have created moratorium alliances, working together to solve deep-sea mining problems, including Samoa, Fiji, Federal States of Micronesia and Palau. 
• 3 countries (New Zealand, Switzerland and Canada) have put a moratorium on deep-sea mining, wherein each country will be researching and applying the regulations individually. 
• 14 countries have put a precautionary pause, temporarily halting all deep-sea mining operations. These countries are Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Panama, Sweden, Ireland, Dominican Republic, Vanuatu, Finland and Portugal. Brazil, Finland and Portugal are the most recent country to commit.
• France is the only country that has put a complete ban on deep-sea mining. 

No clear assessments of the impacts of deep-sea mining on the environment have been extensively carried out to date.

Global view: Deep sea mining operations

This image shows the different places where deep-sea mining operations could take place. The mineral deposits of interest are found in three habitats located on the seafloor: the abyssal plains, seamounts, and hydrothermal vents. 

• blue-coloured dots, also known as polymetallic nodules, are fossilised metals. 
• yellow spots represent cobalt which has accumulated in our crust. 
• orange spots are cracks in our crust which allow the sulfur from the core of our planet to escape. 

However, the circled blue dot highlights the highest concentration of these fossilised metals. In this area, companies want to make a deep-sea mining city filled with rigs and structures to help with the extraction of nodules.

DSM is anticipated to impact all levels of the ocean, from waste dumped into the midwater column to the physical mining and churning of the ocean floor. There is also risk from the potentially toxic slurry (slurry = a mixture of dense matter) water dumped into the top of the ocean. The most direct impacts on oceans at mining sites are the destruction of natural landforms and the wildlife they host, compaction of the sea floor, and creation of sediment plumes that disrupt aquatic life. Indirect impacts result from noise, electromagnetic effects, disruption of the larval supply, contamination and fluid flow changes. This would not only impact global fisheries but also reduce humanity’s ability to combat climate change, as well as threaten the lives and livelihoods of islanders and coastal communities.

Potential specific threats to the ocean ecosystems include; 

• Vacuuming of the nodules. The sucking up nodules involve the destruction of the seabed leading to the potential extinction of specie;

• Stripping seamounts of the outer layer of ‘crusts’ containing cobalt and other metals destroys habitats including deep-sea sponges and coral ecosystems;

• Plumes of sediment created during mining stir up the seafloor, possibly spreading tens of thousands of square kilometres beyond the mining sites, disturbing ecosystems and species. 

It is evident, deep-sea mining will critically damage the environment and ecosystems that are – vital for our planet. Today, some seabed mining operations are already taking place within continental shelf areas of nation-states, generally at relatively shallow depths, and with others at advanced stages of planning. While commercial DSM has not started, various companies are now invested in initiating mining. In this context, the legislations set in place by the ISA are critical, with climate activists and environmentalists looking forward to the imposition of further precautions, including bans by more countries. 

Written by Siddhant Pandey, edited by Nicola L. & Anuradha B.

The climate Fresk workshop aims to promote climate change awareness and raise public consciousness about the issue. It is an ideal activity for individuals, teams and groups alike to participate in a deeper understanding of the systemic aspects of sustainability and climate change within a collaborative and playful workshop based on 42 informative & interactive cards.

The Climate Fresk Workshop is a great option as a corporate team building activity and is a supporting tool to corporate awareness building within corporate sustainability awareness and strategy mandate. The workshop is well suited for all participants, irrespective of where they lie on their awareness & understanding path of climate change and sustainability.

Teams of 5 to 8 participants map out decks of cards provided to them, in order to identify cause-effect relationships, between various interconnected aspects of climate change, and are guided to then draw a fresco which summarises the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (IPCC)

Climate change is often dealt within its silo independent topics: sea rises, flooding, warming climates etc., without understanding how the picture comes together as a whole. This lack of perspective is disengaging and anxiety-provoking: we are informed that there is an emergency, without understanding the ‘hows’, ‘whys’, and without providing us with an action plan. The workshop, however, allows the participants to understand the problem and to identify where and how to act in order to have the highest impact. 

The founders of the Climate Fresk French NGO started in 2018 setting a goal & milestone to reach a ‘One Million participants!’. The goal was achieved this April, and to date, June 2023, the association has reached more than 1,150,000 participants in 142 countries with more than 50,000 facilitators trained. 

Goumbook is proud to be recently appointed as a Climate Fresk Workshop facilitator and representative. We have delivered, within this year, 19 workshops to over 450 participants; our participants and clients include the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Chambers, DP World, EGA, General Electric, Emrill, AESG, GAC, IFFCO, Bloomberg.

This workshop and corporate activity can be coupled with two additional activities that contribute to the solutions of climate adaptation and mitigation: 

1. Mangrove planting and kayaking

To contribute to the “100 million mangroves planted” pledge by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and understand the crucial role indigenous mangroves play in tackling environmental issues. 

2. Net-Zero Masterclass: 

A master class focused on developing a carbon net-zero strategy for the private sector in order to allow employees and management to develop their understanding of what a carbon net-zero strategy entails, and assessing how to begin or continue on this essential decarbonisation journey. 

For more information about corporate sustainability & Climate Fresk workshop, Mangrove Planting & Net Zero Masterclass and other climate change awareness and team building suggestions, please email: ask@goumbook.com or natacha@goumbook.com.

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Office – Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), recently concluded a three-day workshop on dugong and science and management in the Arabian Gulf region. 

The workshop, held from the 2^nd to 4^th May 2023 in Abu Dhabi, brought together researchers from the GCC region, as well as international experts, to discuss the status of the Arabian Gulf dugong population, to develop strategies for regional collaboration and to share knowledge on new technology and research methodologies.

The Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range (the CMS Dugong MoU) is an international agreement that aims to promote internationally coordinated actions to ensure the long-term survival of dugongs and their seagrass habitats throughout their extensive range. The CMS Dugong MoU entered into effect on 31 October 2007 in Abu Dhabi and has since been signed by 27 countries.

In 2009, CMS and EAD entered a partnership that established a CMS Office – Abu Dhabi, to host the CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat and the CMS Raptors MOU Secretariat. The partnership between CMS and the Government of the UAE has remained in place and generated significant achievements for international cooperation on migratory species conservation.

The Secretary General of EAD, H.E. Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, opened the workshop, followed by a welcome address by Rouba Abou-Atieh, Executive Coordinator for CMS Office – Abu Dhabi. 

The dugong population in the Arabian Gulf is the second largest in the world after Australia with an overall population of 7,300 – 7,500 individuals, occurring primarily around the Marawah and Al Yasat protected areas (UAE), the Hawar Islands (Bahrain) and NW Qatar, and the shallow waters between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Participants from these range states presented on the status of dugong populations within their territories, highlighting the current population estimates, major threats, and current monitoring programmes. 

These national presentations highlighted the importance of strengthening regional collaboration among the dugong range states of the Arabian Gulf to gather a clearer understanding of movement patterns and behaviours, and how to coordinate dugong and seagrass research and conservation throughout the Arabian Gulf.  

Professor Helene Marsh, the world’s premier authority on the ecology and conservation biology of dugongs, attended the workshop to provide expert advice and stressed that: “In terms of research and science, the Arabian Gulf has a unique opportunity to set an example of how important and effective regional cooperation can be.” 

In response to this, the CMS Dugong MOU will work on establishing a Technical Working Group to explore the development of standardised survey methodologies that can be deployed in a coordinated effort across the region. 

The workshop was also an opportunity to present the story of Malqout, a dugong calf rescued in in 2019 from the Marawah Marine Reserve in Abu Dhabi. Malqout was found stranded and separated from his mother, malnourished, and dehydrated. Worldwide Zoo Consultants gave a detailed presentation on the intensive round-the-clock care provided to Malqout. Following an increase in cases of dugong strandings in 2021-2022, this was a particularly relevant and useful discussion for the workshop participants and provided learnings for the entire region. 

The workshop concluded with a trip to SeaWorld Abu Dhabi to observe a dugong necropsy, providing a unique capacity building opportunity. 

The workshop is the first gathering of dugong experts dedicated to the Arabian Gulf population. It provided a valuable opportunity for stakeholders and experts from across the region to collectively discuss the challenges facing dugongs and their habitat, and to agree on suitable steps for collaborative efforts towards the protection and conservation of this unique species. 

The workshop was funded with generous support from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. 

We believe in gathering people together to discuss and share learnings on effects to affect climate change, Therefore, we are excited to be participating in  the MENA Oceans Summit on 8^th – 9^th June 2023. 

The summit is bringing together thought leaders, ministries and the corporate sector from the region to engage with one another on topics including ocean sustainability, ecosystems, nature based solutions and biodiversity. 

To attend, please register at https://goumbook.com/mena-oceans-summit/register-to-attend/

Protected Areas and National Parks:

The UAE has established a network of protected areas and national parks to safeguard its diverse ecosystems and species. These protected areas, such as the Jebel Hafeet National Park and the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, serve as vital havens for endangered species and contribute to the overall conservation of biodiversity.

Species Conservation Programs:

To address the conservation needs of specific species, the UAE has implemented targeted conservation programs. The Arabian Oryx, a symbol of the country’s wildlife conservation efforts, has been successfully reintroduced into the wild through captive breeding and reintroduction programs. Similar programs are underway for other threatened species, including the hawksbill turtle and the Arabian leopard.

Habitat Restoration:

Recognising the importance of restoring degraded habitats, the UAE has undertaken extensive habitat restoration projects through tree planting activities. Mangrove rehabilitation programs along the coast have been successful in restoring these vital ecosystems and supporting the diverse range of species that depend on them. Efforts to restore coral reefs and protect seagrass meadows have also been initiated, emphasizing the restoration of critical marine habitats. In 2015, mangroves occupied an estimated 14,117 hectares in scattered locations throughout the emirate. During the past 10 years, at least 15 million young mangroves have been planted along the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Sustainable Development and Land-use Planning:

The UAE has integrated sustainable development principles into its land-use planning to minimise the impact on natural habitats and biodiversity. Guidelines and regulations are in place to ensure responsible construction practices, protected area management, and conservation-oriented urban planning. These measures strive to strike a balance between development and conservation.

Public Awareness and Education:

Raising public awareness about the importance of biodiversity conservation is essential for long-term success. The UAE has focused on educating its citizens and residents about the value of biodiversity through campaigns, educational programs, and nature-based activities. By fostering a sense of environmental stewardship, the UAE aims to build a society that actively participates in the protection of its natural heritage.

International Collaboration:

Recognising that biodiversity conservation is a global endeavour, the UAE actively participates in international collaborations and agreements. The country works closely with international organisations and partners to share knowledge, best practices, and scientific research, fostering a collective effort to address global biodiversity challenges.

To transform our relationship effectively and continuously with nature and transition to a more equitable and sustainable future in which activities that result in ecosystem loss and degradation are a thing of the past, we need to focus and enhance on the following actions:

• Community engagement: Involving local communities in the planning, implementation, and maintenance of reforestation and restoration projects can help to build ownership and pride in the project, and increase the likelihood that it will be sustained over the long term. This can be done through community meetings, workshops, or other forms of outreach and engagement.
• Education and awareness: Providing education and awareness-raising activities such as tree planting can help to educate the community about the importance of reforestation and restoration and the benefits they provide, such as improving air and water quality, conserving biodiversity, and fighting climate change.
• Job creation: Conservation, reforestation and restoration projects can create jobs for local people, such as in tree planting, maintenance, and monitoring, providing a source of income for people in the area.
• Partnership and collaboration: fostering partnerships and collaborations with other organisations, such as government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and private sector companies, can help to leverage resources and expertise to increase the impact of reforestation and restoration projects. While encouraging and supporting local tree planting programs such as the Give A Ghaf planting program and mangrove restoration projects.
• Emphasising on Native Species: Opting for planting native species such as Ghaf and mangrove trees can increase the chances of survival of the tree and also increase the ecological benefit, as well as providing a sense of cultural heritage and pride.
• Sustainable Harvesting: Implementing sustainable harvesting practices can provide an additional source of income for local communities and help to ensure that reforestation and restoration projects are economically viable over the long term.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Regular monitoring and evaluation of reforestation and restoration projects can help to ensure that they are achieving their desired outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

Recognising the urgent need for global action, new international targets for nature were established in December 2022 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. These targets stress the importance of protecting and restoring 30% of the world’s marine and coastal ecosystems by 2030, along with ensuring sustainable utilization of marine biodiversity. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals further emphasize the criticality of safeguarding and sustainably managing ocean ecosystems to secure a prosperous future for both humanity and the planet.

Today the UAE’s commitment to building back biodiversity through concrete conservation actions stands as an example for the world. Through the establishment of protected areas, species conservation programs, habitat restoration initiatives, sustainable development practices, public awareness campaigns, and international collaborations, the UAE has made significant strides in conserving its natural heritage. However, the journey is far from over.

Continued efforts and collective action are crucial to ensure the sustainable future of biodiversity. By integrating conservation into every aspect of development, engaging communities, and upholding international commitments, the UAE can play a vital role in global biodiversity conservation efforts and inspire others to follow suit. Let us celebrate the UAE’s achievements and recommit ourselves to the urgent task of preserving and restoring biodiversity for the benefit of present and future generations.

Wealthy nations must step up to make these changes, while funding poorer nations’ plans to sidestep fossil fuel reliance. Carbon capture and storage technology is a vital tool in sectors where CO2 emissions are essentially unavoidable, but its high costs and energy usage make it an imperfect solution. The IPCC report puts faith in the farming industry unrolling dramatic changes to help sequester more carbon in soil over the next decade, but policy hasn’t caught up and vested interests in current farming methods create inertia. CCRC experiments are exploring the potential for regenerating ocean biomass as a way to store more carbon. Ocean biomass refers to communities of plants, fish and mammals that thrive near the surface, but send their shells, bones and decomposing vegetation permanently to the deep ocean, locking huge amounts of carbon into the seabed.

Expanding their numbers could bolster biodiversity, shore up fish stocks and provide income opportunities for marginalised communities across the world, as well as capturing tens of billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The CCRC is exploring the potential for regenerating ocean biomass as a way to store more carbon. Ocean biomass refers to communities of plants, fish and mammals that thrive near the surface, but send their shells, bones and decomposing vegetation permanently to the deep ocean. Refreezing the Arctic would allow the jet stream to return to normal, buying us more time to work on reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. The challenges of reducing emissions by switching away from fossil fuels are largely political, not technical, but the benefits of cleaner air, better health and new jobs for millions in the alternative energy sector should outweigh short-term fears. We must also use our greatest natural resource to remove the excess carbon already released into the atmosphere if we are to create a manageable future for humanity.

Read full article here: Oceans and their largest inhabitants could be the key to storing our carbon emissions – Climate Champions (unfccc.int)