OREANDA-NEWS. May 16, 2013. Our Environmental Protection Department (EPD) rallied participants of this year’s Saudi Aramco Professional Development Association (SAPDA) program to increase awareness on the crucial role that mangroves provide in the marine environment by planting mangroves April 14 at Rahima Bay.
 
More than 80 SAPDA participants, their trainers and EPD staff members headed out for the newly established Mangrove Eco Park near Ras Tanura. The Mangrove Eco Park is an initiative by Saudi Aramco to protect mangrove forests in the Eastern Province.

An EPD study that examined changes in mangrove habitats over the past 50 years revealed that more than 90 percent of the original mangrove trees in the Eastern Province have been lost as a result of coastal development, especially residential development. This trend has accelerated over the past few decades.
 
The study also indicated that the remaining healthy old growth mangrove forest mostly is in or adjacent to Saudi Aramco operating areas, and Dr. Ronald Loughland, an environmental specialist at EPD, said this is an artifact of the company’s presence in the region for 80 years. He added that Saudi Aramco’s presence in these areas has eliminated other non-compatible land uses such as landfilling. As a result, Saudi Aramco has now become the environmental stewards of these last important coastal habitats.

SAPDA participants planted more than 200 mature mangrove seedlings that were provided by the Ministry of Agriculture as part of a collaborative arrangement between Saudi Aramco and the Ministry.
 
Loughland praised the efforts of the SAPDA participants. “They were extremely passionate about participating with the plantation effort; the entire group had a great day, and everybody really was involved with the task at hand.”
 
EPD is undertaking a 1.5 million mangrove tree plantation initiative within the coastal areas of the Eastern Province over the next few years.

“The success of this important initiative relies on cooperation between various departments, facilities, groups and communities within the company, as well as with other government organizations in the Kingdom,” said Loughland.

"The recent results achieved collectively from participation from the SAPDA, EPD and the Ministry of Agriculture is just one example of many where cooperation is assisting Saudi Aramco to achieve this admirable task.”