With the participation of 200 experts, researchers, specialists and academics from around the world, the 19th Sharjah International Conservation Forum for Arabian Biodiversity will be launched on February 5 and will last for four days. Participants will share their experience, ideas and expertise in order to enhance knowledge about local biodiversity and conservation challenges.

The forum is organized by Sharjah’s Environmental Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) and will focus on three main themes, the Red List of plants in the Arabian Peninsula; the protected areas theme will introduce the IUCNs Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) and the veterinary theme will discuss in-house diagnostics. The forum includes sessions, lectures, seminars and discussions on these key topics with the participation of experts, specialists, researchers and academics from around the world.

HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, said, “The forum focuses on three main topics but firstly we’ll look at the regional Red List of local plants with The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are the world’s main authority on the conservation status of endangered species. This will be similar to the workshops on Red Lists carried out for reptiles in 2012, for birds in 2013, for mammals in 2016 and for trees in 2017. It will provide update to date information on the main threats and recommendations for ways to preserve the plants.”

The topic of protected areas will be presented to IUCN Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas. This introductory workshop will help with the identification of sites in the Arabian Peninsula that significantly contribute to global biodiversity and the identification of gaps in the networks of protected areas in the Arabian Peninsula.

The veterinary topic discusses in-house veterinary diagnosis, which is a continuation of two previous topics. The first was in 2015 and addressed the performance of anatomy and sample collection, and the second in 2017 addressed the definition of parasitic worms. This year, greater emphasis will be placed on physical fluid collections and assessment while studies will be used to highlight their use in veterinary groups. Finally, there will be a closer look at the use of drones in the conservation of biodiversity, including cartography, wildlife surveys, monitoring, law enforcement and medicine in the conservation of biodiversity. 

The EPAA works in accordance with the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and values his unlimited support for an environment that is safe for all species, as well as his support of the EPAA’s efforts to emphasize environmental protection and conserving biodiversity.