As part of its celebration of International Project Management Day, which falls on the first Thursday of November each year, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) organised on last Thursday an event to announce the winners of the "Irtiqaa" initiative that was launched last year.

The initiative aims to improve performance, stimulate creativity and innovation, and implement best local practices and international projects within the field of project management. The agencyacknowledgedthat the celebration will positively affect employee performance through achieving the strategic objectives and the vision of the Abu Dhabi Government.

During the event, Al Hudayriat project from Modon Properties was reviewed, and a presentation on project management was demonstrated by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Additionalinnovative projects implemented by EAD were also highlighted, and the three top winners were announced who won out of five projects thatqualified for this year.

The winners includedDr. Mohamed Dawoud, Advisor - Water Resources, who won the first place for a project entitled "Water Resources Assessment, Allocation and Prioritization", coming in second place was Mansoor Al Tamimi, Scientist - Groundwaterfor“Crop Calculator and Study of Water Use in Date Palm Farms"project, andthird place was awarded to Justin Chuven, Unit Head - Ex- Situ Terrestrial Conservation Programmes,for a project named “Reintroduction of the Scimitar Horned Oryx into their native habitat in the Republic of Chad”.

HE Dr. Jaber Al Jaberi, Deputy Secretary General of the Agency, said in his opening speech at the event: “Since its inception, EAD has played a distinguished role in implementing the vision of the Abu Dhabi Government in the field of sustainable development, which is in accordance with the Abu Dhabi Government Vision for 2030. We have always focused on achieving a balance between economic development and conserving the environment. In the past years, we have implemented several programmes and projects and haveachieved leadership in a plethora of environmental fields.”

His Excellency affirmed:“The strategic and operational projects are the basic building blocks in achieving our strategic objectives. This places a great responsibility on project managers in finding innovative solutions to maintain the operations of their projects, despite the challenges they face. We are in a country that does not know the impossible and always seeks to achieve planned results.”

Dr. Al Jaberiadded:“EAD’s Programme and Project Management Department works with all sectors,together on our strategic projects to ensure the application of best practices in all departments. Within ourdedicated framework of learning about modern concepts and project management applications, we launched the “Irtiqaa” initiative to raise the performance of projects. The competence of project managers and the creation of a competitive and motivational environment ensures a constructive approach in developing effective plans for the implementation of our initiatives.”

This year, five projects were nominated, including the “World Ocean Summit.”This event brought together political leaders, decision-makers, heads of international companies, leading scientists, non-governmental organizations, and various parties to discuss issues pertaining to ocean sustainability.Also discussed was the economy and ways to turn country pledges into a reality. The summit is considered one of the most important conferences on the economy and ocean sustainability.

The “New Website of EAD”project was also nominated due to its success in providing a comprehensive website, rich in information intended for various segments of society. The site includes information about the agency and its most important initiatives, as well as information on the environment of Abu Dhabi, the biodiversity it hosts, and places to visit.

The “Reintroduction of the Scimitar Horned Oryxinto their native habitat in the Republic of Chad” projectwasdefined as one of the most ambitious, large mammal resettlement programs in the world, and a major step in the field of species conservation.

“Water Resources Assessment, Allocation and Prioritization” was also among the nominated projects.The project aims to assess water resources and demand in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Concurrently, the goal for this project is to prepare an integrated management plan and sustainable development by specifying the water shares required for different sectors, and the development of appropriate management policies.

Among the projects that also qualified during today’s session from the “Irtiqaa” initiative was the “Crop Calculator and Study of Water Use in Date Palm Farms.” This pioneering research project aims to prepare a programme to calculate the quantities of water needed to irrigate agricultural crops according to their natural and climatic conditions, as well as the nature of the soil in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. A crop calculator has been developed which will be used to regulate and license pumping from underground wells in the Emirate.

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