One of the most pressing questions we face in the 21st century is ‘how can we protect our earth’s precious ecosystems?’. At the recently held UN’s Climate Change Conference – COP26 – governments, leaders and experts worldwide gathered to discuss how the global community can work together to mitigate the impact of climate change and maintain the safety and security of communities worldwide. Innovative solutions are needed if we are to collectively maintain global rises in temperature to only 2° Celsius (ideally 1.5° Celsius) by 2030, as stressed at COP26, to avoid catastrophic climate-related events.
One such solution to the environmental challenges we face, gaining increasing attention in recent years, is nature-based solutions. Defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits,” the term was coined in the early 2000s.
In simpler terms, nature-based solutions leverage the world’s forests, grasslands, wetlands and soils to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as they absorb and store carbon. Underpinned by biodiversity, the concept of a nature-based solution is based on the understanding that well-maintained ecosystems provide multiple benefits, including storing carbon, controlling floods and stabilising shorelines and slopes for clean air and water, food, fuel, medicines and genetic resources.
Ancient examples include the falaj systems in Oman. Using ancient engineering techniques, the traditional irrigation network extracts water from underground sources such as wadis and wells, which is then channelled to provide water for crops, helping cultivate palms and other produce in extremely arid desert lands.
The oldest in the region, the Al Ain Aflaj system, has existed since around 1000 years BC. Other examples of nature-based solutions include desert conservation, integrated coastal areas, tree restoration, restoring wetlands and mangroves and green infrastructure, all of which offer carbon capture capabilities.
Nature-based solutions are back in the spotlight. Recently, in the run-up to COP26 and the subsequent onus following COVID-19 to ‘build back better’, nature-based solutions have been high on the agenda of governments and global business leaders, as they are increasingly recognised as a means to enable the transition to a green, circular economy.
According to the United Nations, authoritative research tells us that more than one-third of the climate change mitigation needed to reach the goals necessary to curb global warming by 2030 can be provided by nature-based solutions. Moreover, with the ability to mitigate 10-12 gigatons of CO2 per year, nature-based solutions have a critical role in climate action and the protection and regeneration of biodiversity.
In light of their growing popularity, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers have begun to set standardised principles and frameworks, such as the IUCN Global Standard, to prevent companies’ misuse of nature-based solutions and, thereby, greenwashing.
Across the Middle East, where the threat of climate change is high due to the many low-lying coastal areas, governments and businesses are launching many nature-based solutions to meet climate change targets and the move toward net-zero carbon economies.
Mangroves as a nature-based solution in the UAE
One nature-based solution gaining increasing attention in the region is mangroves. With a critical role in nature’s natural defence system, mangroves can sequester four times the amount of CO2 of rainforests. Moreover, they provide an additional myriad of benefits, including the ability to trap sediments, nutrients, and contaminants to maintain clean water supplies and protect coral reefs, providing coastal protection and supporting fisheries and tourism.
In the UAE, mangrove regeneration is taking place in partnership between ENGIE and the Abu Dhabi Environmental agency. A shining example of a regional nature-based solution, the Blue Carbon project uses specialised, custom UAE-built drones and rigging to plant thousands of mangrove seeds near the Mirfa power plant in Abu Dhabi.
The drones also monitor the growth of the mangroves over the year, demonstrating the role that technology can play in promoting sustainable development. In the scheme’s first phase, 2,000 seeds were planted with a 25% success rate, despite volatile weather conditions. The project team expects the success rate to climb to 35% in the next phase.
Another successful nature-based solution from the UAE is the One Billion Tree Initiative. A global campaign to plant one billion trees in nine countries worldwide by the end of 2025 (Guatemala, Peru, Uganda, the UAE, India, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines).
The initiative aims to improve lives and livelihoods whilst also helping tackle climate change. With a goal to capture 250 billion kgs of carbon within a decade, the initiative is the world’s first blockchain-enabled digital tree-planting platform, enabling individuals to buy or gift trees and monitor their progress as they grow, thanks to the EcoMatcher app and its use of geolocation tracking.
But nature-based solutions needn’t be so far removed from our urban lifestyles and can provide the answer to many of the challenges we face living in cities. For example, Abu Dhabi’s Al Fay Park is an excellent nature-based solution that uses biodiversity to enhance the local microclimate, providing benefits such as cleaner air, reducing noise, and cooler temperatures, improving quality of life and delivering additional social benefits.
The Middle East’s first urban biodiversity park – it contains more than 2,000 native trees and bushes. It is managed through an irrigation system using recirculated water, reducing its irrigation by 40% compared to conventional parts. Attracting bees, birds and other animals, the forest part delivers biological, environmental and social benefits to the residents of Abu Dhabi.
As governments and businesses continue to transition to carbon-free economies, these examples demonstrate the vital role nature-based solutions can play in helping to mitigate climate change and protecting our earth’s delicate ecosystems.
Of course, they are not the answer in and of themselves – nature-based solutions must be accompanied by multiple initiatives that ensure the health of our planet for future generations. If we work hand-in-hand with mother nature, we can tackle the most pressing issues humanity faces today, helping to create a greener, healthier and more prosperous future for all.
