Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Abu Dhabi is home to around 1,900 km 2 of blue carbon-storing ecosystems, with an average of 94 mg/ha in coastal sands [ ] 229 The UAE’s new biodiversity strategy Biodiversity protection, such as the conservation of the endangered Arab falcon and the protection of camel diversity, plays an important role in UAE’s cultural legacy. Fisheries and tourism represent significant parts of the UAE economy, and these services aim to investigate the opportunities in building a local greener Emirate through a better understanding of carbon and coastal ecosystem servic- es and their potential contribution to climate change mitigation efforts. The UAE is considered a leader in the field of biodiversity conservation. This can be observed in the number of protected areas declared in the country, which has increased from 19 in 2010 to 22 in 2013, with a total area of 6841,975km 2 , the largest being the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, covering 4,255km 2 . Simi- larly, the number of sites designated as Wetlands of International Impor- tance (Ramsar Sites) has increased from two in 2010 to five in 2013. The UAE has also initiated various programmes for the protection of endangered species and put in place a number of policies and regulations for wider environmental preservation. The new (and first) Biodiversity Strategy of the United Arab Emir- ates (2014-2021) includes a series of main orientations and national goals in line with the “Emirates vision 2021”, in addition to the Emirates’ Strategy for Green Development, the National Strategy for Coastal and Marine Environment, the Biosafety Strategy and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The main orientations focus on: mainstreaming biodiversity in all economic and social sectors; rein- forcement of knowledge sharing and capacity building for upgrading and addressing biodiversity management; improvement of biodiversity status through habitat protection, genetic diversity and restoration of degraded ecosystems; reducing pressure on marine and terrestrial biodiversity; and enhancing regional and inter- national cooperation on biodiversity cross-cutting issues. 21 national targets with action-driven and out- come-oriented measures, grouped under five thematic areas, have been set out. The new biodiversity strategy includes particular engagements on capacity building, communication and public awareness, resource mobi- lization, and on a national knowledge sharing platform in line with the Clearing-House Mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Progress on the implementation of the strategy and action plan will be monitored and assessed and findings will be reported by representatives from each Emirate. Falcon Training in the Desert, Dubai United Arab Emirates T he United Arab Emirates (UAE) is characterized by a number of rich and unique ecosystems despite its harsh climate. The country is located in the dry tropical zone extending across Asia and North Africa, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing maritime borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the north. Deserts comprise about 80 per cent of the country’s area and host a variety of plants that have adapted to the climate and become an important source of grazing, in addition to being used for a range of medicinal products. The UAE’s mountain ecosystem acts as a refuge for wildlife as it hosts 44 per cent of the country’s wild plants, 42 per cent of its mammals, 24 per cent of its reptiles, and 17 per cent of its birds. Robert Haandrikman on flickr