Syed Hussein Al -Qassab
Bahrain has revived the international day to preserve the ecosystem of the mangrove forests through many initiatives, including a field visit to the Doha Arad Reserve, which is one of the most prominent natural reserves in the country, with the participation of a number of officials at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, the Supreme Council for the Environment, the National Communication Center, and representatives of the national media.
During the visit, Bahrain’s efforts were highlighted in the cultivation of Crimea, the progress made in achieving strategic goals within the “Crimea Bahrain” initiative, and the guarantor to protect the coastal environment, promote biological diversity, as well as raising societal awareness, and increasing the areas planted with Crimea trees in various governorates.
During the visit, the Executive Vice President of Communication at the National Communication Center, Dr. Muhammad Al -Shaaban, that the visit comes in conjunction with the international day to preserve the ecosystem of the mangrove forests, with the aim of highlighting the Kingdom’s achievements in the field of environmental sustainability, especially within the framework of the “Crimea Bahrain” initiative.
He pointed out that this initiative, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, comes in the context of supporting the Kingdom’s efforts in facing climate change, and achieving its environmental goals, on top of which is the doubling of the mangrove trees at a rate of four times in Bahrain by 2035, in order to achieve the Kingdom’s obligations to reach the carbon neutrality by 2060. He stressed the importance of involving the national media in such pioneering initiatives, Because it has a pivotal role in raising societal awareness and highlighting the stories of environmental success, explaining that the presence of representatives of the press on the reserve land is the best evidence that the media is a key partner in environmental development efforts.
The two peoples noted that during the visit, the participating media outlets were seen on the exceptional environmental characteristics of mangroves, which contribute to absorbing large quantities of carbon dioxide, which limits the effects of global warming, and these trees also constitute a natural barrier against coast erosion, and provides an environment rich in marine creatures and birds.
For his part, the Director of the Local Agricultural Production Department at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, Jaafar Al -Tajer, stated that Doha Arad is one of the distinctive sites in the cultivation of Crimea trees, indicating that in 2023 more than 460 thousand Crimea seedlings were cultivated at the site thanks to its ideal water properties for the growth of these trees. The merchant emphasized that the mangrove trees plays a pivotal role in absorbing large quantities of carbon dioxide, which directly supports the plans of the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, stressing the importance of these trees as a natural shelter that enhances marine life, and increases the abundance of fish.
He explained that the process of farming is going through integrated stages that start from collecting seeds annually in coordination with the Supreme Council for the Environment, and then cultivating them in the ministry’s nurseries, which produce more than two million seedlings annually, leading to their transfer to the targeted sites after taking care of them. He added that Bahrain was previously dependent on importing seeds, but a large part of the needs is now being secured locally by collecting seeds from different locations within the Kingdom, which reflects the development of the project and achieving self -sufficiency. While the Director of the Reserves Department of the Supreme Council for the Environment Nouf Al -Wasmi indicated that the Doha Arad Reserve is characterized by its concentration in the heart of the city of Muharraq, which contributed to enhancing environmental awareness among citizens and residents in the city of the importance of biological diversity and natural reserves, explaining that the reserve extends over an area of 0.49 square kilometers and includes an extension environment and islands, which is an ideal incubator for young fish, larvae and crustaceans. Al -Wasmi explained that the site constitutes a natural habitat for residing and migratory water birds, such as gulls, heroon, and flamingo, which enhances the reserve’s position as one of the most prominent environmental systems supporting biological diversity.
New regions for the airline, Al -Wasmi, that the “Quran Bahrain” initiative chose the Doha Arad Reserve as a starting point for farming work with the aim of enhancing societal environmental awareness of the importance of the mangroves, especially with regard to climate change and the adaptation of environmental systems with it. She stated that since the nineties began the cultivation operations in the reserve, while during the year 2024, about 246 thousand seedlings for Crimea were cultivated with a success rate of approximately 93%, which contributed to the consolidation of the importance of these trees with the local community.
Enhancing the societal partnership that one of the most prominent goals of the initiative is to enhance the community partnership with various bodies, from educational institutions, private companies and individuals, where awareness campaigns and field visits are organized in coordination with schools and universities to introduce the participants the importance of Crimea and involve them in farming operations.
