ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI’S NAHA PLATFORM MARKS FIRST SUCCESSFUL YEAR WITH ALMOST FIVE TONNES OF WASTE COLLECTED

Ahmed Bin Abdulqader  ـ nabd–alhadath

• The sustainability-focused digital platform has seen more than 650 volunteering hours completed by the Abu Dhabi community while over 11 schools were awarded in the highest category for their eco-friendly practices.
• 2023 saw naha’s Green Youth Majlis win the Best Volunteering Iniative of the year by the Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work.

naha, the environmental engagement platform, launched and developed by Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in November 2023, has today announced a series of key achievements from its first year including the collection of almost five tonnes of waste, more than 650 volunteering hours completed by the Abu Dhabi community and over 100 members joining the platform’s Green Youth Majlis initiative. 

naha promotes sustainability, raises environmental awareness, and encourages eco-friendly practices across the UAE capital and beyond, through its bespoke programmes by helping to convert climate intention into meaningful action.

During the last 12 months, almost 5 tonnes of waste was gathered from 647 public clean-ups, as part of the Agency’s Sahim (Citizen Science) programme. Held in partnership with Emirates Nature-WWF, Sahim provides opportunities for public participation in scientific research, aligning with the UAE’s sustainability goals. Among the items collected were food containers, balloon sticks, and plastic bags – with plastic bottles (131,836) and glass (94,257) representing the largest quantities.

As a single access point for EAD outreach programmes, the naha digital platform provides useful information on how members of the public can engage in environmental activities and enhance their knowledge. Over the course of the full year since November 2023, the naha website saw a rise in website visitors, with a total of 232,000 visits since its inception, and a website surfing with an average of 3 minutes spent in scrolling and checking the website content.

Besides Sahim, the Agency’s community initiatives include the BAADR app. Downloaded over 2,810 times since naha was launched, this tool incentivises users to adopt eco-friendly practices and earn and redeem points for each completed task.

Volunteering is also a significant element of naha’s ongoing efforts with more than 650 hours completed in the first year. As part of its Environmental Volunteers Programme, which includes the Murshed Youth Rangers Programme, an educational initiative that targets both children and young adults and cultivates a sense of responsibility, 300 hours of volunteering were conducted.

The past year has also seen naha serve at the heart of significant local events such as the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition with more than 7,000 visitors experiencing a large variety of activities centered around naha’s themes. This event also gave visitors an introduction to the future of naha, which will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance environmental learning.

With a dedicated mission to spread environmental knowledge, naha’s initiatives including the e-Green platform and Envirospellathon, have seen a large number of students engage and enhance their learning. E-green, the pioneering e-learning platform focused on environmental education, has welcomed over 5,000 registered users and more than 11 thousand certificates issued to learners. On the other hand, the Envirospellathon App, launched to promote eco-literacy on local flora, fauna, and awareness about environmental issues, has been downloaded more than 18,500  times with almost 3,000 certificates issued to users.

Additionally, members of the Green Youth Majlis, aged 15-35, have dedicated over 350 hours to collaborating, discussing, and taking action to protect and preserve the environment. naha’s Naturally Educated Podcast, a space dedicated to sharing knowledge, encouraging open dialogue and educating the public, has published it’s fourth season with over 10,500 listeners to date.

With youth empowerment a key focus for naha, its environmental and education pillar saw 167 Abu Dhabi schools renew their registration in the Sustainable Schools Initiative. This internationally recognised environmental initiative, held in partnership with the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), Emirates Schools Establishment, and sponsored by bp, enables young people to explore the environment and learn how to reduce their ecological footprint.

Furthermore, 11 schools were recognised by EAD for their outstanding efforts in SSI, achieving the green star rating – the highest category – after helping enhance the children’s knowledge on the importance of the environment and implement eco-friendly measures, both in and out of school.