Emirates News Agency – UNEP – Abu Dhabi and UAE Nature – WWF launches COP28 Youth Climate and Nature Series

ABU DHABI, 3rd June, 2023 (WAM) — As part of World Environment Day celebrations, Mohamed Ahmed Al Bowadi, Minister of Defense and Vice-Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EAD and Chair of Emirates Nature Foundation The launch of the COP28 Youth Climate and Nature Series, developed by EAD in partnership with Emirates Nature-WWF, expands the UAE’s active community of volunteers and citizen scientists during the Year of Sustainable Development and COP28. The Youth and Community Engagement Strategy aims to ensure that post-COP28 leaves a legacy of wider community members understanding and engaging with local large-scale conservation programmes.
EAD Secretary-General Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri and Director-General Laila Mostafa Abdullatif attended the Climate and Nature series while launching a unique ‘Connect with Nature’ campaign, the ‘Escape from Climate Change – Mangrove Edition’ escape room Emirates Nature-WWF and EAD Executive Director Ahmed Baharoon
Students from Environmental Information, Science and Outreach Management and Abu Dhabi Government and Private Schools.
The escape room highlights essential actions for Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and demonstrates how the UAE is undertaking important projects to build climate resilience and engage and lead local initiatives with youth and the wider community.
The event at Al Mamoura is sponsored by Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC), one of the leading regional multi-line insurance providers for businesses and individuals.
Community Innovation Experience
Escaping Climate Change – Mangrove Edition provides an opportunity to experience the science behind climate adaptation first-hand, giving the entire community the opportunity to understand the complexities of climate resilience and action in a simple, interactive way.
Under adverse weather conditions, participants will be placed in virtual mangroves, relying on the resilience of mangroves, embarking on a meaningful adventure to escape the effects of climate change and protect our natural heritage.
The campaign aims to drive community members to take action for nature. Following the escape room experience, participants can sign up for nature-based activities and become citizen scientists, addressing real, impactful conservation work happening locally in the UAE through the Sahim and Leaders of Change campaigns.
Therefore, after playing the escape room, young people can volunteer to join the Sahim campaign launched by EAD and the UAE Foundation for Nature. Sahim aims to harness the power of community engagement and drive a new era of citizen science through a series of volunteering opportunities in Abu Dhabi. Citizen scientists will collect useful data on local species and habitats that can inform conservation research and decision-making.
Members of the public can also enroll in Emirates Nature – WWF’s Leaders for Change – an annual membership program designed to mobilize UAE society to maximize impact and create change locally through training, ideation sessions and exciting volunteer travel across the country . Volunteers can track their impact through the project’s groundbreaking digital platform.
National Tour of the Year of Sustainable Development
Following the activation of the escape room event, which kicked off its national tour at Al Mamoura in Abu Dhabi, the escape room caravan will continue its national tour throughout the Year of Sustainability, inspiring thousands of attendees to experience the story behind climate action. science. Participants will also be encouraged to engage in the global climate dialogue and join the UAE’s largest nature volunteer movement – Sahim and Leaders for Change.
Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), commented: “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. This group of influential young people has made it clear that they care about the environment and are interested in participating in the nation’s response to climate change Initiatives such as the ‘Escape from Climate Change – Mangrove Edition’ escape room provide a pathway for UAE youth and communities to understand the science and complexities involved in building climate resilience, enabling them to strengthen their commitment to climate and Contributions to nature and greater contributions to science and volunteerism.”
Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General, Emirates Nature Foundation, commented: “Nature is our powerful ally in the fight against climate change and nature-based solutions (NbS) are an important part of the national and global response to climate change. Emirates Nature-WWF is Demonstration sites across the UAE are actively implementing NbS and are developing insights to share at the COP28 climate conference.
“The ‘Escape from Climate Change – Mangroves Edition’ escape room provides an immersive platform through which we can raise awareness of nature’s critical role in building climate resilience. As the caravan travels across the country , we aim to inspire thousands of youth and members of the wider UAE community to pave the way for a greener future by joining the volunteer movement Sahim and Leaders of Change.”
Youth and the general public are invited to experience the ‘Escape from Climate Change – Mangroves Edition’ escape room and can follow the national roadshow tour on Connected to Nature, Abu Dhabi Environment Agency and Emirates Foundation for Nature social media channels