Abu Dhabi launches pioneering mangrove restoration pilot with ALEC and EAD
The construction firm ALEC has entered into an agreement with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) to back a three-year pilot project designed to rehabilitate a mangrove area in the emirate.
Under the initiative, the two parties will test whether re-establishing natural water flow — known as hydrology — in a degraded mangrove zone can promote long-term ecosystem recovery. They describe the effort as the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi.
Scientific leadership by EAD
EAD will oversee the scientific components of the pilot, including site selection, ecological and hydrological assessments, determination of necessary restoration measures, and ongoing monitoring and reporting of results.
The project will gather baseline data at the chosen site and measure progress against predetermined indicators for restoration and biodiversity. Officials expect the findings to inform the planning of future restoration projects across the emirate.
The pilot is tied to the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, which ALEC joined earlier this year by signing a partners’ pledge to support the conservation and restoration of mangroves and other so-called blue carbon ecosystems.
“The findings will strengthen our understanding of how mangrove sites respond to restored hydrological conditions,” said Maitha Mohamed Al Hameli, Acting Executive Director for Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity at EAD.
ALEC’s first biodiversity investment
ALEC has described the pilot as its first investment in nature restoration that yields measurable biodiversity outcomes. The company is a subsidiary of ALEC Holdings, which operates in construction, engineering and other sectors in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and is owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai.
“As our first biodiversity restoration investment, the project enables us to contribute directly to the protection and restoration of Abu Dhabi’s mangrove ecosystems,” said ALEC Managing Director Sean McQue.
According to ALEC, employees across the group will have the opportunity to take part in activities linked to the project, including citizen-science monitoring and volunteering.
The agreement was formalised after the fourth annual meeting of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative partners, which took place on 8 October at the Rixos Saadiyat Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
