UAE Biodiversity Expansion Marks Milestone As EAD Expands Protected Areas

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi is expanding protected areas across the emirate, as part of the UAE’s wider biodiversity agenda. The move increases terrestrial and marine reserves, supports global conservation targets, and aligns with national strategies, while positioning Abu Dhabi as a key regional contributor to long-term habitat and species protection efforts.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), stated that the UAE’s biodiversity and nature reserve work is undergoing a major shift. President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan directed that protected areas should cover 20 percent of Abu Dhabi’s total area within the Zayed Protected Areas Network.

Under this directive, the Zayed Protected Areas Network now includes 26 designated sites, with a combined area exceeding 22,000 square kilometres. The expansion introduces three new terrestrial reserves: Al Wathba Fossil Dunes Reserve, Liwa Groundwater Reservoir Reserve and Ghaf Natural Reserve, which together broaden the protection of key landscapes and ecosystems across the emirate.

The plan also extends existing terrestrial and marine protection zones. Qasr Al Sarab Reserve will be enlarged, while Ras Ghanada Marine Reserve will see a wider boundary. Two additional marine sites are being created: Abu Al Abyad Marine Reserve and Sir Bani Yas and Desert Islands Marine Reserve, reinforcing coastal and island ecosystem protection in Abu Dhabi waters.

According to Al Dhaheri, the expansion of Abu Dhabi’s protected areas contributes directly to the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework and the 30x30 target to conserve 30 percent of land and oceans worldwide. The programme also forms a central part of the National Biodiversity Strategy 2031, strengthening the UAE’s long-term conservation commitments.

Al Dhaheri highlighted that advanced monitoring systems play a central role in managing Abu Dhabi’s biodiversity and protected areas network. Satellites and drones are being deployed to observe terrestrial and marine reserves. Tracking devices follow species movements, while EAD uses artificial intelligence to analyse environmental data, forecast risks, and support faster, evidence-based conservation decisions.

Al Dhaheri noted that, under the guidance of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EAD, several large-scale initiatives are underway. The Abu Dhabi Coral Gardens initiative aims to deploy 40,000 artificial reef modules, made from durable materials, by 2030 across 1,200 square kilometres.

The coral reefs rehabilitation project seeks to outplant more than four million coral colonies in Abu Dhabi’s waters by 2030, supporting marine biodiversity and coastal resilience. Al Dhaheri added that over 15,000 local Samar trees have already been planted in Jebel Hafeet National Park, showing how terrestrial and marine projects are advancing together across the emirate.

With inputs from WAM