Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula - Sharjah 2010 #Sharjah

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Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula - Sharjah 2010

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan will attend an international conference on the protection of the environment in the Arabian Peninsula to be held early next year at American University of Sharjah (AUS) by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) of the Government of Sharjah.

The EPAA said here today that preparations are underway for organizing the first “International Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula,” which will be held on the February 3 and 4, 2010, at the American University of Sharjah. The keynote speaker of the conference will be Dr Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Other speakers will include Dr Fareed Krupp, Dr Mark Stanley-Price, Dr Mohammed Shobrak and Dr Shahina Ghazanfar who will be speaking on their specialist subjects, along with many other well-known local and international scientists and conservationists. By bringing together international and regional conservation specialists, the conference aims to promote opportunities to strengthen and extend the biodiversity network on the Arabian Peninsula.

The patron of the conference is 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 the 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 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.

The conference is supported by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Dolphin Energy, Sharjah Airport Saif Zone, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Bee’ah, The Sharjah Environment Co. and Sharjah Transport. Entry to the conference is free but pre registration is necessary as places are limited.

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