2010-02-03 00:38:04
WAM Sharjah, 2nd Feb. 2010 (WAM) -- His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, will attend tomorrow the opening of the first Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula.

The two-day conference is organized by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) of the Government of Sharjah at the American University of Sharjah in recognition of a decade of Sharjah Conservation Workshops and their achievements.

The patron of the conference His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah is the one who instigated the first Conservation Workshop for the Fauna of Arabia in 2000, at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife (BCEAW). His Highness recognised the transboundary nature of biodiversity issues, and that networking and information sharing are pivotal in addressing major regional and global challenges, such as biodiversity and climate change, said Mr Abdulaziz Al Midaa, Director of EPAA.

"This conference celebrates the achievements of the past 10 years of the workshops, which have helped to access the conservation status of a range of regional taxonomic groups, protection of habitats and the creation and management of protected areas in the Arabian Peninsula" Mr. Midfaa said. "Our aim is to create further awareness of the wildlife in the region and the need for its preservation," he added.

The conference has attracted regional and international experts in their fields. Dr Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission is the keynote speaker with Dr Fareed Krupp, Dr Mark Stanley-Price, Dr Mohammed Shobrak and Dr Shahina Ghazanfar speaking on their specialist subjects, along with many other well-known local and international scientists and conservationists. Poster presentations illustrating current research and conservation projects from the around region will also be on display for the duration of the conference.

The United Nations Environment Programme has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, and people all over the world are working to safeguard this irreplaceable natural wealth and reduce biodiversity loss. By hosting the Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula, EPPA will be part of this special year that aims to protect the current and future wellbeing of our planet.

Organisers are looking forward to a lively exchange of views and information, and opportunities to strengthen and extend the Biodiversity Network on the Arabian Peninsula, which has been built over the past decade.

The objectives of the conference are: To present and discuss biodiversity conservation issues in the Arabian Peninsula To review the present status of biodiversity conservation in the Middle East To link up with scientists from the region and internationally To identify opportunities and priorities for future biodiversity conservation Presentations topics include: WWF Ecoregions and habitats Hotspots and species Protected Area networks Animal Reintroductions Plant and habitat restorations Freshwater Fish and Marine Conservation Flyways and stop-overs Climate change The Arabian Peninsula has seen massive social and environmental change in only the last 50 years. The pace of this change had affected countries of the Peninsula differently, with the Gulf States showing the most rapid and sustained changes. As a consequence there is now a wide variation in the status and provisions for wildlife conservation across the region. With important lessons to be shared by the countries of the region there remains great scope for further international cooperation to enhance conservation management and achieve shared objectives.

WAM/TF