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As part of its efforts to measure its success in protecting biodiversity, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) has completed the process of measuring the City of Abu Dhabi’s Urban Biodiversity Index.
With this, Abu Dhabi joins many cities from around the world such as Brussels in Belgium, Edmonton in Canada, Hyderabad in India, Nagoya in Japan as well as Auckland in New Zealand, Singapore, London and Los Angeles in the UK. U.S.
The results of the assessment show that Abu Dhabi scored 86 out of 100 points, a higher score than other cities that also use the index.
192 plants
A total of 192 species of plants were assessed, including 122 native plants, 70 exotic plants, and 14 mammal species, including 7 exotic species.
29 reptile species were also recorded, of which 1 was an exotic species, while 431 bird species were assessed, of which 396 were native. Invertebrate and insect species assessed included wasps, dragonflies, butterflies, scorpions, grasshoppers and beetles. Of the 108 species assessed, 103 were native and 5 were exotic.
The data revealed the extensive biodiversity of the city of Abu Dhabi, with no fewer than 20 new scientifically discovered species of invertebrates recorded over the past few years. Among the species not previously known to science are the dancer fly and the digging wasp species, which were recorded in the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve. Among these plants, many rare herbaceous plants were monitored, such as the beach grass (Halopyrum mucronatum) found in some areas of Saadiyat Island.
self-assessment tool
The index is a self-assessment tool for cities around the world to measure and monitor conservation progress, and a valuable way to spread awareness among people about protecting biodiversity and the importance of ecosystems.
Also known as the Singapore Cities Biodiversity Index, the index aims to help cities achieve sustainable development, where biodiversity and people grow and prosper in harmony, while addressing the risks of biodiversity loss and the impacts of climate change based on best scientific practices available in the last ten years.
The index is also designed to help cities achieve sustainable environments, sufficiently enhance biological capacity to respond to any environmental violations, and help guide local, national and regional government agencies in measuring biodiversity, the health of ecosystems, and the success of management practices or not.
urban biodiversity
It measures a city’s performance in managing urban biodiversity and assigns three categories, including: the number of plant and animal species in the city; the services these plants and animals provide, such as pollination and carbon storage; and how the city manages its biodiversity nature to protect natural resources, ecosystems and wild species.
Trees and green spaces in cities can help reduce the negative effects of climate change. They do this by storing carbon, lowering temperatures, cleaning the air and other environmental services provided by plants on farms or along roadsides and in urban parks and other green spaces. It also supports efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide habitat for other native animals.
The agency collected metrics for the indicator from several urban locations, including parks, golf clubs and other urban green spaces, through fieldwork conducted by the agency’s Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring Team. Information and data related to geographic systems, as well as information related to awareness campaigns—collected by EAD and its partners from other government agencies—are also included to provide an accurate assessment.
The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre, Al Ain Zoo, and other government and private institutions.
First in the Arab region
Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: “The City of Abu Dhabi has joined the list of 39 cities worldwide that have applied the Urban Biodiversity Index, becoming the first city in the Arabian Gulf region and the Middle East. Another major achievement in the field of biodiversity conservation and confirms the success of its efforts to improve vital ecosystem functions – one of the leading indicators of quality of life and human well-being, in addition to the data collected by the agency over the past few years importance and accuracy.”
She said the criteria measured by the index reflect communities’ perception of the value of ecosystems and the extent to which they contribute to protecting biodiversity. This is achieved through programs to monitor, protect and document biodiversity to improve the ability of cities to collect data on their biodiversity, thereby improving data quality and enhancing understanding of urban biodiversity.
She added: “EAD’s efforts to engage the community in its efforts to protect biodiversity contributed to the assessment score the agency received. The agency provides opportunities for community members to engage in meaningful ways on environmental issues, including EAD’s recently launched The app and website “Abu Dhabi Nature” to help the public learn more about Abu Dhabi’s wildlife and document their sightings of land and marine species.”
positive effect
Ahmed Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Land and Sea Biodiversity Sector, said: “The index results show that Abu Dhabi City has a higher percentage of sustainability compared to other cities using the index. This reflects positively on Abu Dhabi’s Efforts to achieve a sustainable environment. This is due to the positive impact on the quality of life and biodiversity in the emirate, which will contribute to a healthy and sustainable environment for future generations.”
He added: “The City of Abu Dhabi will not rest on its laurels, but will seek to achieve the desired level of environmental sustainability by developing an action plan with the Singapore Biodiversity Cities team to update the indicators suitable for the desert environment. . This is in addition to expanding the fieldwork to include the cities of Al Ain and Al Dhafra, and continuing to reassess indicators regularly to determine progress.” — trade arab news agency
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