MOCCAE hosts preparatory workshop to bolster National Biodiversity Strategy

As part of the Year of Sustainability and in preparation for hosting the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) organised a preparatory workshop to update the National Biodiversity Strategy and its action plan in line with international guidelines and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The workshop was attended by Dr. Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Biodiversity and Marine Life Sector at the MOCCAE, and representatives from various federal and local government entities, the academic sector, civil society organisations, the private sector, and ministry staff from different technical departments.

In his speech during the workshop, Dr. Al Hammadi said,

"The UAE has worked to enhance and intensify efforts to conserve and protect biodiversity through an integrated political and legislative system. In previous years, it has launched numerous projects, programmes, and initiatives that promote environmental protection, involving all segments of society in achieving this goal."

He further explained that the country had issued the National Biodiversity Strategy and several policies to work towards its objectives. He noted that the UAE had adopted the strategic initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, which serves as a national driver aimed at achieving zero emissions. As part of contributing to this goal, the UAE will plant 100 million trees by 2030, as it is one of the solutions towards climate neutrality due to its enormous environmental and climate benefits.

Al Hammadi added,

"In line with the requirements of aligning the National Biodiversity Strategy with the global framework, the ministry is working on updating the strategy with the participation of all relevant sectors in the country. Today, we gather in this workshop to listen to all partners' proposals and valuable opinions, which will undoubtedly enrich the strategy and make it a national document supported by all stakeholders."

The recently held workshop in Dubai reviewed the efforts of the UAE in biodiversity and the progress made in implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy 2014–2021.

It discussed the vision and updated mission of the national strategy and the strategic directions for biodiversity in 2031, along with other strategic indicators.
The workshop also recognised the success stories and experiences of various international and local entities and their efforts in this field. These included the United Nations Environment Programme - West Asia Office, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Dubai Municipality, Fujairah Environment Agency - Fujairah, Dibba Al Fujairah Municipality, and the Emirates Environmental Group.

In addition, it presented the objectives of international, national, and local strategies and action plans, aiming to reflect and align them with the biodiversity strategy.

Furthermore, the workshop reviewed the guiding framework for developing national strategies of the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and familiarised participants with the global Kunming-Montreal Framework for Biodiversity.
After reviewing these experiences, the workshop discussed the outputs of the working groups and examined the viewpoints of each entity regarding the future National Biodiversity Strategy.

It is planned that the MOCCAE will organise the second workshop to continue updating the biodiversity strategy and action plan during the third quarter of this year.

The ministry has scheduled the second workshop for the third quarter of this year. The workshop aims to facilitate the ongoing update of the National Biodiversity Strategy and action plan.

News Source: Emirates News Agency