The National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) to prepare a study on the effect of trees and shrubs on carbon sequestration in Bahrain, as part of the National Afforestation Campaign (Forever Green).

The MoU is complementary to NIAD efforts to plant 140,000 trees and 110,000 mangrove shrubs to contribute to reducing carbon emissions.

In 2021, Bahrain had announced its target to bring carbon emissions to net zero by 2060. In a Cabinet meeting in February 2022, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister greenlighted increasing the NIAD target from 1.8 million trees to 3.6 million trees by 2035.

The MoU was signed by Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, NIAD Secretary-General and Dr. Abdulrahman Yousif Ismail, Acting President of AGU.

NIAD Secretary-General said the study is aligned with NIAD’s approach to strengthen community partnership, encourage scientific research, support efforts to protect environment, achieve sustainable development.

She added that NIAD also seeks to raise awareness and encourage individuals to plants trees, to contribute to achieving NIAD goals.

Shaikha Maram commended AGU’s research capabilities, and thanked the Ministry of Education for its cooperation in conducting the study in the schools of Bahrain.

Dr. Ismail said the MoU boosts cooperation between AGU and NIAD, contributed to national efforts to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.

He underlined the importance of the results expected from the study in determining trees suitable for the upcoming stages of Forever Green campaign, based on their carbon sequestration capacity, care requirements and water consumption.