Procter & Gamble (P&G) unveiled its Dubai Mangrove Forest project planted by the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG). The mangrove forest planted in the Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary marks a decisive action towards earth restoration by creation of a forest in the desert coastline of the UAE, the companies announced.

Located on the Dubai coastline, the P&G Dubai Mangrove Forest itself will be set in an area comprising of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and a natural beach. The sanctuary selected for the Forest is a place of global significance, a United Nations protected reserve that is being managed by EMEG and has been included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. The initiative is in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan that maps out a comprehensive future map for sustainable urban development in the city.

Major Ali Al Suweidi, President of EMEG, commented, “We are delighted to be announcing this unique initiative together with P&G and EcoMatcher. Nature alone can help us solve up to one-third of climate change. The aim of the Dubai Mangrove Forest is to help balance out Dubai’s cosmopolitan impact in agreement with Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which aims to expand green spaces focused on enhancing the population’s well-being. Dubai Mangrove Forest will not only be used for foresting but also for animal rescue and species preservation.”

Omar Channawi, CEO of P&G Middle East, East & West Africa and General Export Markets added, “We are very thankful for the support of Major Ali, EMEG and EcoMatcher, and very proud of being able to launch this initiative together. We are thrilled to see P&G’s Dubai Mangrove Forest project come to life here in the UAE, our first Forest as part of P&G ForestsforGood Programme. P&G ForestsforGood is something we hope will flourish around the world. P&G has undertaken a large number of initiatives to help protect, improve and restore nature around the world. Regionally, this campaign is focused on helping bring nature back to life, and we felt it particularly significant for the regeneration to take place in the desert. The move aligns with Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan’s mission to double green areas to provide a healthy environment for residents and visitors.”

According to the statement, the teams will be using this specially designated land next to the sea to plant a mangrove forest. Mangroves are an ideal natural climate solution as they use salt water that they self-filtrate, removing irrigation from the equation and making them ideal for water conservation as well. They are also able to store three to five times more carbon than forests found on land, and also crucial to biodiversity health with three quarters of all tropical fish species being born within mangrove forests. P&G expressed its intention to plant new mangroves on the Jebel Ali site and also adopt some mangroves that are older (4 or 5 years old) to maximise the future carbon sequestration and offsetting potential. P&G has partnered with Hong Kong-based EcoMatcher for the initiative, which will allow it to see progress virtually through its technology platform. Using blockchain technology to ensure traceability, the company said the aim of the programme is to offer full transparency with tree-planting projects, allowing each individual to view their trees that have been planted through the EcoMatcher website.