Mangroves have a long rich history in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over time they have served as an important cultural, economic and ecological resource. To fully conserve these important ecosystems, it is essential to have accurate maps of their current and historical extent. Remote sensing is an excellent tool for the creation of this type of data. This paper tests the use of the Google Earth Engine Mangrove Mapping Methodology (GEEMMM) (Yancho et al., 2020) to monitor mangrove change in the UAE from 2010 to 2020. The maps developed are consistent with other research and show mangroves in the UAE have expanded to a total area of 169 km2, which is an increase of 34 km2 over the ten years included in this study. It further proposes that Ras Al Khaimah could utilize this approach to continue monitoring mangrove change in order to improve conservation and better understand how environmental conditions impact mangrove ecosystem health.
Recommended citation: Killilea, M., & Burt, J. (2023). Mapping the Growth of Mangrove Forests in the United Arab Emirates from 2010 to 2020 (Policy Paper No. 67). Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research.