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Arabian peninsular

Group to establish a coordinated IPA programme in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq & Qatar.

Currently the project is focusing on Saudi Arabia, Oman & Yemen. Criteria for the Arabian region have been published which specifically include relict species and refugia for connectivity and climate change mitigation (Al-Abbasi et al., 2010).

As well as identifying IPAs in the region, it is hoped that the project will stimulate the production of Red Lists (national and Arabian) and the development of a standardised list of threatened habitats for the region. The project has identified potential IPAs through existing data and has been focussing on field surveys in these areas. The first detailed IPA site report in Arabia has now been published for Jabal Qaraqir in Saudi Arabia (Llewellyn et al, 2010).

There is a strong focus on practical conservation planning for IPAs, which includes targeting traditional protected areas (himas in Saudi Arabia, hamiyah in Oman) for inclusion in the network.

Coordinating organisations:

• Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh)
• Saudi Wildlife Commission (Saudi Arabia)
• Oman Botanic Garden (Muscat, Oman)
• Agricultural Research and Extension Authority (Taiz, Yemen)
• IUCN Arabian Plants Specialist Group