Building Blue Carbon Projects - An Introductory Guide

8 Case Studies

8.1 Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project

In just over 40 years, Abu Dhabi has evolved from a small fishing community to the most populated of the seven Emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With the foresight and vision from His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the environment has become an intrinsic part of the preserved heritage and traditions of the people of the UAE. This national affinity for the environment has led to the initiation of the Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project, with the aim of exploring the value that coastal and marine ecosystems provide in the UAE, with a focus on carbon sequestration, and  to help preserve  the  Emirate’s  environmental and cultural heritage. The project studied the full range of Blue Carbon ecosystems (mangroves, saltwater marshand seagrass) as well as cyanobacterial algal mats and coastal sabkha, two ecosystems of particular local interest. The project was developed as an integrated assessment of the extent of coastal and marine ecosystems, the carbon they sequester and store, the further ecosystem services they provide, as well as the policy and financial options for recognizing  Blue  Carbon  ecosystems’  value  in  Abu   Dhabi’s decision making (Figure 8).

Figure 8 Estimated areas of highest concentration of Blue Carbon co-benefits arising from Blue Carbon and candidate and associated ecosystems (AGEDI, 2013).

Two field missions brought together world-experts on carbon science, mapping and ecosystem service valuation, with local volunteers, local scientists and agency staff, and international Blue Carbon practitioners. The missions allowed participants to share expertise and knowledge, and to jointly create a better understanding of how Blue Carbon supports the well-being of the people of Abu Dhabi, the region and the globe. Experts from Madagascar and Indonesia were able to participate in the field missions, thereby representing a global first in international Blue Carbon scientific exchange. The visiting experts represented partners from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Blue Forests Project (Blue Ventures and the Government of Indonesia), providing important capacity in Blue Carbon to these nations.

Building Blue Carbon Projects An Introductory Guide

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