DUBAI, 23rd February, 2026 (WAM) -- More than 40 organisations from across the UAE gathered at Terra, Expo City Dubai for a bold new chapter in the country’s journey toward nature-integrated urbanism. Convened by Terra, the Urban Biodiversity Coalition returns for its second edition, evolving from a cross-sector dialogue into an ambitious community of practice dedicated to embedding biodiversity into the heart of city life.
As the UAE accelerates its commitments to environmental resilience, the coalition’s purpose is clear: to evolve toward more balanced, nature-integrated environments where both people and ecosystems can flourish, and people thrive. What began in 2025 as a trust-building platform now enters a year of shared learning, field testing, and design-led collaboration, contributing to the UAE’s positioning as a regional leader in urban biodiversity.
“We are redesigning the relationship between people and nature,” said Marjan Faraidooni, Chief of Education and Culture at Expo City Dubai. “Through this coalition, we are exploring new ways to reimagine the blueprint of urban life, one that places biodiversity, wellbeing, and resilience at the core of sustainable development. We hope that through our collective contributions, we can help redefine the relationship between people and nature.”
The 2026 programme was launched at Terra on 27th January with opening remarks from Maram Yaqoub, Urban Policies & Strategies Section Manager, Dubai Municipality, about the intersection of climate, culture, and ecological stewardship and how nature belongs not only in our landscapes, but in our laws.
Hosted in the Terra Auditorium, the gathering also showcased a walk-through of Expo City’s own urban biodiversity pilots from reedbed water systems and native pollinator corridors to rooftop goats and impactful pocket forests. These are not simply symbolic gestures but functional ecosystems, co-designed with nature to restore soil, sequester carbon, and reconnect communities with the living world around them.
Throughout 2026, members of the Urban Biodiversity Coalition will participate in a series of immersive learning visits and workshops, including sessions on biomimicry with global design firm Jacobs, fungi and soil regeneration with the IUCN SSC Centre for Species Survival (Fungi), and native planting strategies with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. This hands-on, place-based approach will culminate in a shared set of tools and methodologies to influence urban development projects across the country.