• The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG), a public, private partnership for the benefit of sustainable development, collaborates with its members and partners to raise awareness about the various sustainability challenges and promotes sharing of knowledge and best practices in the field.
Abu Dhabi, 13 December 2024: As part of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), Abu Dhabi hosts the first international exhibition of mangrove photography in the region from 10th December 2024 to the end of February 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
The exhibition is a partnership between the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Manarat Al Saadiyat under the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) – a leading non-governmental environmental organisation founded in 1992 to address the rapid loss of mangrove forests around the world.
The exhibition coincides with the first edition of the International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference (IMCRC), organised by EAD between 10th and 12th December 2024.
The exhibition aims to highlight the natural beauty of mangrove forests around the world and shed light on their environmental importance and essential role in combating climate change and protecting biodiversity. It features more than 40 international photographers and will showcase selected images from the 2023 and 2024 Mangrove Photography Awards, which provides a global platform for photographers to showcase the beauty of mangrove ecosystems and the challenges they face around the world.
The exhibition includes 120 images that focus on two main themes: The first theme is “Mangroves: Our Ally in the Face of Climate Change,” taking visitors on a journey through a selection of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Protected Areas around the world, especially in Abu Dhabi, to highlight the role of mangroves as a key ally in combating climate change. The second theme, “Discover the World of Mangroves,” showcases the best winning images from the Mangrove Photography Awards, organised by MAP.
The event will present an exceptional opportunity for nature and photography enthusiasts to discover the beauty of mangrove trees and provide the public with a unique educational experience aimed at raising awareness of the importance of mangrove forests and their role in protecting coasts, supporting local communities, and providing natural solutions to environmental challenges resulting from climate change.
The event is also a platform to reinforce Abu Dhabi’s leadership in using nature-based solutions to address environmental challenges while highlighting the importance of international cooperation to protect and restore these valuable coastal systems for the benefit of current and future generations.
Mangrove forests are unique and distinct coastal ecosystems that grow in areas where land meets seawater in tropical and subtropical regions and can withstand high levels of salinity as well as changing and harsh environmental conditions. They are of great importance to the marine environment and humans, as they act as an anchor for coasts, protecting them from storms and erosion and providing local communities with resources such as seafood and timber, in addition to their effective role in mitigating the impact of climate change.