Tribune News NetworkDohaQatar Museums Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani celebrated the World Mangrove Day by sharing some captivating imageries of the Al Thakira Mangroves in Qatar. The photos, posted on HE Sheikha Al Mayassa’s official twitter handle, brilliantly capture the beauty of the mangroves in such a manner that they look straight out of a fairy tale, with turquoise water and labyrinthine maze of green vegetation providing a refreshing contrast to the arid desert sand of Qatar.

 

“Mangroves are rare, spectacular & prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. These extra ordinary ecosystems contribute to the wellbeing, food security, and protection of coastal communities worldwide,” HE Sheikha Al Mayassa said on Twitter.Al Thakhira, located 7 kilometres northeast of the city of Al Khor City and 60 kilometres from Doha, is one of the most beautiful areas with natural water bodies and mangroves. Like other coastal settlements in the area, its inhabitants historically relied on pearling and fishing for sustenance.

 

UNESCO celebrates International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on July 26 with the aim of raising awareness about mangrove ecosystems and to promote their sustainable management and conservation. Whether its efforts pay off or not, the importance of mangrove forests cannot be overestimated.According to UNESCO, mangroves are disappearing at a rate that is three to five times faster than overall losses of global forest cover in the face of infrastructure development, urbanisation and agricultural land conversion.