This anthropologist is a UN Messenger of Peace

ABU DHABI -- The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, EAD, today welcomed world-renowned conservationist, anthropologist and UN messenger of peace, Dr. Jane Goodall, at the International Water Summit, IWS, in Abu Dhabi.

As Dr. Goodall’s partner in the award-winning environmental initiative, ‘Roots & Shoots’, EAD organized a tour of their stand for her and discussed the vital programmes and water conservation projects that EAD is showcasing this year.

Dr. Goodall has returned to Abu Dhabi for the Roots & Shoots Annual Awards ceremony this year. Held yesterday, the awards ceremony recognized projects, schools and students who have taken part in the programme. Today, Dr. Goodall led a troupe of students from participating schools to the EAD stand at IWS. She also learned about EAD’s latest water conservation projects through its interactive, multi-sensory exhibit, designed to help people better connect with, and understand, the impact of water scarcity.

In 2014, EAD partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute, founded by Dr. Jane Goodall herself, to bring the global environmental and humanitarian initiative, ‘Roots & Shoots’, to Abu Dhabi with the aim to help equip a generation of inspired youth with the knowledge and skills to create meaningful change and live sustainably.

Through the Roots & Shoots programme, young people assess their local community and identify specific challenges in their neighborhood. They prioritize issues, develop solutions and take positive action in activities and projects to benefit animals, the environment, and society as a whole.

Reflecting on her visit to IWS, Jane Goodall said, "I am thrilled to be here to attend the annual Roots & Shoots awards and the International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has taken vital steps to create and implement innovative programmes that help protect our precious environment and greater ecosystem. I commend the Environment Agency in particular, for tackling the pressing issue of water scarcity through localized sustainable long-term solutions, and look forward to future opportunities that our continued partnership may bring."

Throughout the exhibition, EAD has showcased six key projects that highlight its contribution to the overall conservation of groundwater in Abu Dhabi. These projects include: the Abu Dhabi Groundwater Well Inventory Project, the Crop Calculator, the Water Budget, the Groundwater Mapping Project, the Sustainable Irrigation of Date Palms Using Saline Groundwater, and the Sustainable Irrigation of Arid Forests using Groundwater and Recycled Water.