ABU DHABI - More than 100 NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) community members gathered at one of the UAE’s unique ecosystems near Jebel Ali to plant 5,000 mangrove trees in under an hour.

The initiative is a collaboration between the NYUAD Community Outreach and the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), and is part of the University’s commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation.

This initiative aligns with the UAE’s national goal, announced at COP26, to plant one hundred million mangroves by 2030. This national commitment is part of the UAE’s initiative to leverage natural-based solutions to combat climate change, as mangroves serve as important carbon sinks and protect the UAE’s coasts from rising sea levels.

The UAE is home to more than a dozen mangrove sites and has plans to expand and develop its presence across the Emirates.

Head of Community Outreach at NYUAD Esraa Bani said, “Our goal through the volunteering and community-based learning opportunities we offer to our students is to promote meaningful community involvement, embrace the rich diversity of the UAE, and cultivate ethical and inclusive leadership.

This specific initiative is very close to our hearts not only because it contributes to NYUAD’s commitment to a sustainable future and NYU’s Carbon Neutrality 2040 goal but also because we are actively engaging UAE’s youth in protecting one of the country’s unique ecosystems, a "green lung" for the big cities and an irreplaceable wildlife habitat.”

NYUAD is committed to creating a more sustainable future and promoting global dialogue on climate change by contributing, on a national and global scale, to reduce the University’s carbon footprint and impact on the environment through teaching, research, and community engagement.