UAE, Kerala To Boost Conservation, Research On Aquatic Plant Diversity

The UAE Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, today planted a mango tree at the Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, MBGIPS, here to mark the beginning of cooperation between the UAE and Kerala state in conservation and research on aquatic plant diversity.

The UAE Ambassador to India, Dr. Ahmed Al Banna, also planted a similar tree at the MBGIPS. Both the trees also celebrate friendship between the UAE and the Malabar region of Kerala, which go back centuries and span trade, boat-building and shared elements in culture.

The trees planted today belong to a local variety of mango known as "Thenmavu." Literally translated, it means honey mango. Kerala is rich in varieties of mango, which are not only popular locally, but are exported worldwide.

The MBGIPS is an institution of the government of Kerala, administered by the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment. The state Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, is its President.

Welcoming the Minister, the Ambassador and an accompanying team of UAE officials, Dr. N.S.Pradeep, Senior Scientist at MBGIPS offered the Institute’s expertise in conservation in the UAE.

He told Emirates News Agency, WAM, that India has much to learn from the UAE in landscaping and related work and hoped Indians could be trained in the UAE in such skills. Dr. Pradeep encouraged the UAE to look at possibilities of setting up botanical parks similar to MBGIPS in India to tap this country’s vast aquatic plant diversity.

The UAE team was given an extensive tour of the MBGIPS including its research centre.