Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi introduces another ‘first’ with smart-monitoring for forests

Abu Dhabi, 22 January 2015 (WAM): The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, EAD, will be introducing smart monitoring for the over 228,000 hectares of forestry it is managing. This was announced at the International Water Summit (IWS), currently taking place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) between 19th and 22nd of January as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2015. Earlier this week, EAD had announced its commitment to reduce the use of groundwater by 80% in forestry by 2030, in line with its mandate to promote the conservation of Abu Dhabi’s natural heritage across land, air and sea. In the Khub Al Dahs Forest, near Madinat Zayed, the capital of Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, EAD is operating an experimental demonstration site where it is studying the water requirements of Al Ghaf trees using technology that measures ‘sap flow’. These model studies, along with similar studies on palm trees at the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture, are aiming to establish new benchmarks for forestry and agriculture management in Abu Dhabi. Forestry is currently irrigated with groundwater and consumes about 11% of Abu Dhabi’s current water budget, these studies are therefore of fundamental importance given water scarcity in the emirate. The EAD monitoring shows that if extraction and consumption continues unchecked, Abu Dhabi’s usable supply of groundwater will be depleted within only 50 years. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD, commented, "Our objective is to ensure that only recycled water is used for irrigation, while conserving groundwater resources. We are working with other agencies and are developing distribution infrastructures to capture recycled water at treatment plants and deliver it to forests throughout the emirate. The performance of the forestry sector will be closely monitored in terms of infrastructure protection, biodiversity promotion, and recreation as well as enhancing quality of life and securing cultural heritage. Once the water requirements of the studied trees are known, EAD will use it’s customised ‘forest irrigation management tool’ alongside smart water meters to establish strict water guidelines for its forests. The calculator will determine a monthly, seasonal and annual water allocation for individual forests based on these sap flow studies." Al Mubarak added, "The forest irrigation management tool was developed in the emirate for the emirate. These are not international guidelines, but actual requirements of crops and trees grown inside the UAE." Wafa Faisal Al Yamani, Assistant Scientist – Soils, Environment Quality at EAD explained, "The forest irrigation management tool will allow EAD to tailor irrigation approaches for specific forests based on tree species, local climate and soil properties, and to forecast growth rates and productivity indices of these trees grown with recycled water and sometimes saline water." "It means that we will be able to carefully manage our forests and our groundwater," added Al Yamani. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/general/1395275401699.html