Abu Dhabi, Nov 5 (IANS/WAM) In a massive national campaign that aims to preserve the environment and expand the region's green areas, an environmental group in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has planted over two million trees.

The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) said its "Million Tree Campaign" has successfully planted the trees in a span of just under four years. This campaign is part of a large-scale conversion plan to change parts of the desert into "green gardens".

Habiba Al Marashi, EEG chairperson, said the tree planting is part of the organisation's aims and goals to deal with climate change and global warming as well as to preserve and protect the ecosystem.

The EEG is working on how to encourage planting of indigenous trees, as those are well adapted to the harsh desert conditions, high temperature and water scarcity, in addition to the salinity of the soil, she said.

"These trees are also part of the national heritage, as they are associated with our land since a long time," she added.