Abu dhabi: The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and Mubadala are collaborating on a significant initiative aimed at conserving dugongs and their seagrass habitats in the United Arab Emirates and four other countries.
According to Emirates News Agency, the initiative is part of a two-year partnership that will also launch a UAE Conservation Leaders programme to support early-career conservationists in the UAE. The collaboration between the Fund and Mubadala extends support for two international conservation initiatives across Asia. A total of $3 million over two years will be allocated to all the projects supported by this partnership.
Homaid Al Shimmari, Deputy Group CEO at Mubadala, emphasized the initiative's commitment to nurturing local talent and fostering impactful partnerships for environmental protection. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Executive Managing Director of the Fund, highlighted that the new dugong conservation initiative will support the UAE's flagship species not only locally but also in Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and Thailand.
The initiative aims to promote the role of seagrass as a vital carbon sink and foster a transformative approach to marine and land resource management. It will build on the success of the GEF Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project, which the Fund led from 2015 to 2019.
In the UAE, the partnership seeks to build conservation expertise and capacity by funding local grassroots conservation projects. These projects will focus on various areas such as field conservation, applied science and technology, and community engagement. Applicants of all nationalities working in the UAE will be invited to participate, with priority given to projects focused on fieldwork.
A review board, composed of representatives from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the Mubadala Foundation, will oversee the selection process, awarding an estimated six to ten grants per year. This marks the second collaboration between the Fund and the Mubadala Foundation, following an initial three-year partnership that concluded in 2024.
The international conservation projects that received funding through the first stage of the partnership will continue to receive support over the next two years. In Indonesia, efforts focus on the Sumatran tiger and small wild cat species, while in Thailand, the focus is on preserving the Siamese crocodile and otter species along the Petchburi River.
By extending support to these international projects, the initiative aims to enable local partners to achieve more ambitious conservation goals.
