Abu Dhabi conservation efforts receive praise

Experts have warned an estimated one in every seven species of bird, one in every four species of mammal and one in every three amphibian species are globally threatened with extinction. Many species in the UAE are also threatened with extinction including the Socotra cormorant, Arabian tahr, Arabian oryx, Arabian leopard, dugongs, hawksbill turtles, as well as many other species of reptiles, fishes, amphibians, and invertebrates, they said. They were speaking during a six-day conference on global species conservation which began in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Hosted by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), the experts are members of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN SSC) and are world experts in their specialised field of species conservation. Most IUCN SSC members are deployed in more than 100 specialist groups and task forces. Some address conservation issues related to particular groups of plants or animals while others focus on topical issues. "These specialists are world experts on almost every conceivable creature or plant on the planet. Abu Dhabi is hosting this conference out of a deep and historical commitment to protecting biodiversity on a national, regional, and global scale," said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General of the EAD. "This meeting will set the global species conservation agenda for the next four years and the EAD is proud to support it," she said. "We are continually impressed with Abu Dhabi's strong support of species conservation both locally and internationally," said Dr Simon Stuart, chair of the IUCN SSC. "Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in regional efforts to bring the Arabian oryx back from the brink of extinction. Its efforts with locally threatened species such as the dugong, Houbara bustard, and hawksbill turtles are also very impressive," he said. UAE programmes The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognised as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. It has grown in size and complexity and now plays an increasingly prominent role in guiding the conservation activities of governments, NGOs, scientific institutions and scientists. Three experts from the EAD's Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity sector spoke about UAE-based programmes for biodiversity at the forum. Dr Salim Javed, manager, Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring, spoke about the satellite-tracking of migratory birds, while Dr Himansu Das, scientist, Marine Endangered Species and Habitat, spoke about the world's second largest population of dugongs living in Abu Dhabi's waters. Ashraf Al Cibahy, manager, Biodiversity Management and Conservation, highlighted the EAD's efforts in protecting the coral reefs of the Arabian Gulf.