How Abu Dhabi is spearheading species conservation efforts ahead of COP28

Nearly 100 council members, staff and expert volunteer conservationists from around the world came together to discuss the latest developments in nature conservation ahead of this year’s COP28, scheduled to take place in Dubai Expo City on 30 November.

“It is an honor for me to welcome environmental leaders from around the world to Abu Dhabi. The UAE, as host of COP28, is a great opportunity to explore the convergence of biodiversity and climate change agendas. I am proud that Abu Dhabi will internationally Nature and species conservation comes first, by sponsoring events like this, and by leading important national and global initiatives to protect the eland species, the houbara and countless threatened species,” said Al Mubarak.

She added that the council meeting, which is financially supported by the Abu Dhabi government, will also provide an opportunity to showcase the UAE’s leadership and innovation in nature conservation, especially the UAE-based IUCN such as the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment member. , Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), Dubai Desert Reserve, Al Ain Zoo, Houbara Conservation International, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Emirates Wildlife Fund – WWF and UAE Environment group.

IUCN brings together more than 1,400 member countries, government agencies and non-governmental organizations in partnerships designed to influence, encourage and assist society in protecting the integrity and diversity of nature. The network has six committees that focus on specific aspects, and its Species Survival Committee (SSC) produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the most comprehensive source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungal and plant species.

The Red List ranks species into seven categories, from least concern to extinct. Between these two extremes, threat levels range from Near Threatened to Vulnerable to Endangered to Critically Endangered to Extinct in the wild. The year 1750 is often used as the historical baseline when determining population change for each species.

SSC members attending a council meeting in Abu Dhabi praised Abu Dhabi’s conservation efforts. SSC President Jean Paul Rodriguez said it was great to see the resurgence of species such as the Arabian oryx and the curved-horned oryx.

“The eland is an extinct species in the wild, [it has now moved up to] vulnerable state. This involves very interesting international cooperation, including from the authorities in the region. [What this shows] It’s that if you give species a chance — by creating space or habitat and removing the threat — they will recover,” Rodriguez said.

The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father, personally helped find a valuable breeding herd of saiga in Abu Dhabi for the re- Introduce species. They were then reintroduced to protected areas in the UAE, the Dubai Desert Conservation Research Center and Abu Dhabi, where they were closely monitored. Sheikh Zayed has also created a captive breeding program for bent-horned antelope on Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Since 2014, the UAE has reintroduced the animals into the wild in Chad’s sanctuary after a significant increase in numbers.

Rodriguez emphasized that species conservation works, but must involve collaborative efforts as well as national policies and actions. According to the conservationist, the species most at risk in the world right now include sharks and rays, cycads, Asian songbirds, amphibians and corals.

“Sharks and rays are under a lot of pressure at the moment, not least because of commercial activities like finning, and we certainly don’t consider marine species as much as we should when developing threat lists. They are sought after as pets and singing The number of Asian songbirds has also declined significantly, and amphibian populations around the world have also declined due to an infectious disease called chytridiomycosis. Coral reefs are also in significant decline due to the effects of climate change,” the expert explained.

“The great thing about the UAE is that the level of species monitoring and control is very high. The population of dugongs, sea turtles, dolphins and fish is increasing and the country is a leader in these areas. Compared to other parts of the world, the impact on marine ecosystems here is very high. The attention is high and the value is high,” Rodriguez added.

Notably, the UAE has undertaken several sea turtle rehabilitation efforts and has enacted a seasonal moratorium on shark and ray fishing and trade to protect populations in UAE waters. Dugongs are also a protected species and authorities have banned driftnet fishing to minimize dugong mortality in these nets.

The IUCN Council meets twice a year, and as COP28 approaches, experts are looking to use conservation as a means of global climate action. This involves protecting oceans, soils and forests, which are the world’s largest carbon sinks.

According to the IUCN Species Survival Commission, these groups of plants and animals are currently most threatened: