His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), highlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in achieving sustainable development goals. His Highness praised the EAD’s efforts to adopt advanced technologies and modernise its infrastructure in line with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and in support of the UAE Centennial 2071.
His Highness’ statement came during his chairmanship of EAD’s Board of Directors’ meeting, where he praised the unlimited support and attention received by the agency from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, which enabled it to move forward in implementing its corporate strategy 2021-2025, while enhancing its ability to address environmental challenges and ensure the sustainability of the emirate’s natural resources.
His Highness pointed out that by 2025, the completed strategy will have achieved 300 projects based on 36 environmental indicators for measuring progress and achieving environmental goals that cover various areas such as reducing emissions, enhancing resource efficiency, and improving air and water quality, among others. He praised the achievements made by EAD in implementing its ambitious strategy, which so far has achieved 90 per cent of the listed projects and 86 per cent of the monitored environmental indicators.
His Highness added that these achievements have enabled the EAD to take the regional and global lead in several environmental fields, including in areas related to climate change adaptation and the effective implementation of environmental laws, and the EAD ranks among the best global institutions in integrating AI applications and generating an abundance of environmental data. It also obtained third place globally in sustainability applications and second place in environmental education initiatives and community participation. His Highness emphasised that this distinction reflects the agency’s ability to integrate advanced technology into environmental protection efforts and environmental data analysis, which enhances its response to environmental challenges.
The meeting, held at Nakheel Palace, was attended by Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, His Excellency Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi; Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, EAD’s Managing Director, and His Excellency Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Executive Director of Low-Carbon Solutions and International Growth Directorate. The meeting was also attended by His Excellency Nasser Mohammed Al Mansouri, Undersecretary of the Office of the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD.
His Highness also reviewed the efforts of the agency in developing its new five-year strategy for the period 2026 to 2030, which focuses on AI to enhance EAD’s ability to monitor ecosystems and respond quickly to real-time changes through continuous aerial imaging, environmental monitoring, and predicting air and water quality. This strategy will be a pivotal turning point in the agency’s performance, aiming to make it the first environmental government entity to apply AI across all its core operations. Through this strategy, EAD seeks to lead a new era of technological innovation in governmental environmental operations and organisational transformation by integrating AI into all activities and optimising resources by 2030.
EAD is also working on building a digital twin for the ecosystems in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the agency’s assets, which will include several smart applications. These applications will be integrated into EAD’s operations to create virtual replicas, providing immense capabilities to support environmental sustainability through simulations that allow for monitoring natural resource consumption, predicting the impacts of proposed policies, and refining them before implementation.
Among the smart applications that will contribute to the digital twin is the Oil Spill Detection application, which identifies oil spill locations in the marine environment, enabling rapid response and damage mitigation to protect Abu Dhabi's vital natural habitats. An Outfall Monitoring application will also be developed, using continuous satellite imagery to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and prevent pollution.
Other smart applications include a Fish Species Identification and Counting application, which accurately identifies and counts fish from underwater videos and images, providing valuable data for fisheries management. AI will also help identify marine habitats by analysing underwater video data to support habitat restoration and conservation initiatives. The technology will also be applied in terrestrial environments to recognise various animal species, including birds, nests, and other wildlife. Additionally, an Environmental Change from Imagery application will be developed, using aerial and satellite imagery to monitor environmental changes of habitats and ecosystems.
The EAD is also developing an Environmental Data Platform, an integrated Environmental Data Platform. This AI-powered system will provide comprehensive environmental insights, enabling informed decision-making and enhancing conservation efforts.
