The NbS project in the UAE

The “Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate, Biodiversity & People” project in the UAE focuses on the management and restoration of key coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrasses and saltmarshes, to mitigate and adapt to climate change and provide co-benefits for society including food security and economic opportunities.

Beneficiaries and impacts:

• Positive climate mitigation impact: The project will demonstrate Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions avoidance and carbon sequestration achieved through ecosystem protection and restoration within the selected area.
• Biodiversity co-benefits: The project aims to implement a combination of protection and targeted restoration interventions in at least one selected seascape in Abu Dhabi, encompassing critical Blue Carbon habitats and critical habitats for endangered species.
• Co-benefits for people: The project will focus on coastal areas where local communities are actively engaging through numerous activities primarily related to fisheries and tourism/recreation. Ecosystem services will be assessed (and where possible quantified), with the involvement of local beneficiaries, in an effort to make a business case to attract investment and political support.
• Financing NbS and Nature-Based enterprise growth: One of the objectives of the project is to set up partnerships with existing initiatives in the UAE and create a local accelerator programme that can enable a larger scale of business innovation and investment in NbS focusing on ecotourism and food innovation. In addition, the project aims to identify Blue Carbon financing incentive options and help establish a financial vehicle to enable blended finance solutions for NbS in the UAE.

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