New drive launched to plant 2mn mangrove seedlings

Muscat: The Environment Authority, represented by the Directorate General for Nature Conservation, launched a new campaign to plant two million mangrove seeds in the governorates of North Al Batinah, South Al Sharqiyah and Al Wusta.

The campaign aimed at preserving and protecting the ecosystems in coastal wetlands and raising their efficiency through the implementation of a number of projects to achieve the operational goals approved by the authority’s plan related to the work of the national initiative to plant 10 million trees.

Badr bin Saif Al Busaidi, in-charge of managing the work of the Wetlands Management Department at the Environment Authority, said that the campaign will be implemented in two phases.

The first stage of seed collection started from the Qurum Natural Reserve in the Governorate of Muscat and lasted exactly 14 days. The seeds were transported to the target sites through controlled methods and kept in air-conditioned places at a temperature of 23 to 26 degrees Celsius to avoid damage.

He added that the second stage was done by planting seeds and targeting 4 sites with a total area of about 90 hectares, which is equivalent to 900,000 square metres, indicating that the work lasted 17 days through field teams working according to a set schedule, as the targeted sites are subject to tidal waves. So the operations took place only during the reflux periods.

He pointed out that the approved field technical readings and soil tests showed the ability of mangroves to adapt and grow within the targeted sites.

In Khor Al-Har in the Wilayat of Masirah in the Governorate of South Al-Sharqiyah, plantation was also done in Khoury Ghawi and Qaisad in the Wilayat of Al-Jazir in the Al-Wusta Governorate.

He explained that the importance and benefits of mangroves lie in mitigating the effects of climate change through their high ability to absorb greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, and also contribute to improving the protection of the khors from storms and floods, and to enhancing fish stocks as they are natural incubators for young marine organisms.

He stated that one of the benefits of mangroves is also to raise the efficiency of the surrounding environmental systems as natural habitats and main stations for seabirds and as environments with diversified food and recreation in addition to important sites for their nesting and reproduction, and their contributions to the national economy through the implementation of some eco-tourism activities.

It is noteworthy that the Environment Agency continues its efforts to preserve the ecosystem in the coastal wetland areas, in particular the protection and preservation of the environments of mangrove forests, as planting campaigns and environmental awareness programs are implemented among the various groups of society in the various governorates in Oman.