Planting Trees as Climate Action

Dubai is well-known as a hub for tourism and commerce, filled with opulence, modernity, and all the brands the world has to offer. But, outside the city, its more natural habitats remain.

During COP28, many conference attendees, including Kehkashan Basu, the Founder & President of the Green Hope Foundation, were eager to connect with them. Setting out for an excursion into the UAE’s wetlands with Tzu Chi delegates and others, the group would plant mangrove trees on December 7th. Kehkashan explains: “it’s the official rest day of COP28, but we wanted to be able to come outside and actually implement climate action.”

Natalie Wright, Tzu Chi’s Youth Representative to the UN, illuminated that “mangrove trees are one of the few trees that can be planted in salt water, which is really important in the UAE because it’s all salt water.”

While the team had to travel by kayak to reach certain areas, for Natalie, it made the effort even more special: “being in the water and getting to see this in person, I think is really magical.”

But, planting trees is much more than a fun or symbolic activity alone. Oussama Merabtene, Head of Operations at Quest for Adventure, elaborates that it’s “one of the biggest ways we can impact the environment. Not only does it reduce the amount of carbon, but also they help reduce sea levels by taking in water, they help reduce temperatures, and most importantly, it is a beautiful home, and an ecosystem for all, [like] the animals and birds that migrate here and that actually live here throughout.”

Keep watching* and follow all our COP28 updates at https://tzuchicenter.org/global/cop28.

*Also featuring Jia Luen Goh (Tzu Chi UK Youth Representative to the UN).