Abu Dhabi (UAE)

Leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin is planning to plant 10 thousand saplings as part of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative aimed at improving the country’s environmental health and addressing global warming.

He is currently on a visit to the Emirates where a large number of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims live.

This programme is part of the community’s global philanthropic endeavour Project Rise.

During COP26 in Glasgow, the UAE announced to launch of a nationwide mission to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030 to expand mangrove forest cover and restore the damaged ones. Mangroves are vital for a country’s plans to reduce its carbon footprints as this area helps in carbon sequestration.

The UAE also aims to become a global hub for research and innovation in support of conservation through the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative.

Ahmed Alhashmi, executive director of Terrestrial & Marine Biodiversity at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi is eager to use nature-based solutions to mitigate and adapt to fight the effects of climate change, and the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative is one part of the journey toward strengthening that vision. We’re grateful to the Dawoodi Bohra community for their environmental action in supporting the nation’s mangrove conservation and carbon sequestration project.”

Murtaza Poonawala, the programme coordinator from the Dawoodi Bohras of Abu Dhabi said: “Protecting and enhancing the mangrove cover plays a vital role in mitigating climate change. Among several other critical functions, mangroves are exceptionally effective in capturing and storing carbon. They also provide a natural habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.”

“The mangrove plantation project will be rolled out in two phases. In the first phase, 5,100 saplings will be planted in the damaged mangroves to mark the UAE’s 51st National Day, and in the second phase, another 5,100 saplings will be planted in different locations in the Abu Dhabi emirate,” he added.

The community has undertaken several sustained initiatives, including neighbourhood clean-ups and waste management programms in the region, to enhance and improve the climate environment of the UAE.

The Dawoodi Bohra Muslim Community in Abu Dhabi is primarily engaged in business, and also includes highly qualified and experienced professionals employed in different sectors including education, medical sciences, information technology, accounting, engineering, and the oil and gas industry.

ALSO READ: Istifada Ilmiyya: More Dawoodi Bohra women than men attend knowledge festival

The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. Their largest numbers reside in India, Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa, and the Middle East, with a growing presence across Europe, North America, South East Asia, and Australia.