Iraq Plants Mangrove Forest to Fight Climate Disaster

General view of Abu Dhabi's Grey mangrove (avicennia marina), which can grow in highly saline water, most commonly in the UAE, at the Eastern Mangrove National Park, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
General view of Abu Dhabi's Grey mangrove (avicennia marina), which can grow in highly saline water, most commonly in the UAE, at the Eastern Mangrove National Park, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
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Iraq Plants Mangrove Forest to Fight Climate Disaster

General view of Abu Dhabi's Grey mangrove (avicennia marina), which can grow in highly saline water, most commonly in the UAE, at the Eastern Mangrove National Park, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana
General view of Abu Dhabi's Grey mangrove (avicennia marina), which can grow in highly saline water, most commonly in the UAE, at the Eastern Mangrove National Park, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana

As Aymen al-Rubaye plants mangrove seedlings in the sprawling tidal flats of southern Iraq, the black smoke rising over the skyline behind him shows the ecological damage that he is toiling to undo.

Rubaye, an agricultural engineer, is working for a project started by Iraqi government bodies and a United Nations agency to grow up to 4 million mangrove trees in the Khor al-Zubair mudflats region, located near major oil fields, Reuters said.

Ankle-deep mud sucks at his boots as he pats down a seedling and moves on to plant another, part of what he hopes will become a mangrove forest that protects the coast, shelters vulnerable species and battles climate change.

"This plant will save us time and effort in our fight against global warming", he said, describing the plant's ability to capture and store carbon dioxide.

Iraq's carbon emissions have more than doubled over the past decade, according to the World Bank, making it one of the region's worst polluters when measured against the size of its economy.

The tidal flats south of Basra are a baking landscape of water, salt, mud and hazy sky, riven by channels that Rubaye and his team navigate by boat.

The smoke in the distance is billowing from a petrochemical plant near Zubair oil field, some 20 kilometers (13 miles) away, part of a vast energy sector that provides the bulk of Iraq's income and is the main industry - and polluter - in the Basra area.

Southern Iraq was once known for rich marshes that were drained decades ago in an environmental catastrophe that wrecked a complex eco-system and pushed many of its inhabitants to ruin.

Planting mangroves on the tidal flats, south of where the marshes once lay, can protect coastal communities from storms and floods and create a new home for threatened species without using any of Iraq's scarce freshwater for irrigation.

The scheme was inspired by successful projects to rehabilitate mangrove forests in nearby Kuwait and in the United Arab Emirates at the other end of the Gulf.

Mangrove plants "can resist these harsh conditions we are passing through" without needing irrigation water, Rubaye said. Mangroves thrive in the sort of hot, muddy and salty conditions that most other plants find inhospitable.

The new trees come from a nursery where 12,000 seedlings were growing, said Ahmed Albaaj of the UN's World Food Program, which worked on the project with Basra's local government and university, and Iraq's environment ministry.



Saudi National Center for Wildlife Releases 134 Endangered Species at NEOM Nature Reserve

The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)
The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)
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Saudi National Center for Wildlife Releases 134 Endangered Species at NEOM Nature Reserve

The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)
The release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment. (SPA)

The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW), in cooperation with NEOM, released 134 endangered species into NEOM Nature Reserve as part of programs for breeding and rewilding native species in their natural habitats.

NEOM Nature Reserve has received 100 Arabian oryxes, 20 Arabian gazelles, eight Nubian ibexes, and six Idmi gazelles to enhance previous releases, enrich biodiversity, and restore ecological systems within the Kingdom's natural environments.

NCW CEO Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban explained that this move is part of a series of releases conducted by NCW in various nature reserves. He emphasized that the release into NEOM Nature Reserve reflects the strong constructive cooperation and integration with partners in the wildlife sector.

Qurban stated that the center is committed to breeding and reintroducing endangered species into their natural habitats based on the highest global standards and practices.

He underscored the ongoing efforts to protect ecosystems, restore biodiversity, and enhance environmental balance to meet national objectives.

The NCW currently operates specialized facilities that rank among the leading global centers for breeding and reintroducing endangered species according to the highest standards, he added.

This release into NEOM Nature Reserve reinforces Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect endangered species and restore their roles in the natural environment, boosting the appeal of nature reserves and national parks to promote eco-tourism, with a focus on building a sustainable future for coming generations.