|
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.
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 along with many other well-known local and international scientists and conservationists.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah instigated the first Conservation Workshop for the Fauna of Arabia in 2000 at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife (BCEAW). His Highness recognized 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 Abdulaziz Al Midfaa, 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," 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.
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.
|
New
Review
Sharjah International Airport - 41°F
