Qatar first in Arab region to have such a natural habitat
The Unesco has declared Al Reem, the natural habitat in the north-west of Qatar, a world biosphere reserve, according to The Peninsula.
Unesco Man and the Biosphere Programme Secretary, Dr Natarajan Ishwaran, said Qatar was technically the first in the Arab region to have a biosphere reserve.
Marawa in the UAE has also decided to become partner in the world network of biosphere reserves and obtained the approval of Bureau of the International Coordinating Council of the programme.
"This is a major milestone for nature conservation and sustainable development in Qatar and the Arabian peninsula as a whole as the region was previously a white spot on the global map of the world network of biosphere reserve," said Dr Ishwaran. He is also Unesco director of the division of ecological and earth sciences.
The programme which aims to seek, establish and promote place and context-specific relationships between biodiversity conservation and human well-being.
Dr Ishwaran said the biosphere reserves would play a vital role in monitoring the activities on earth. "We look at these sites as learning labs for sustainable development. These places will demonstrate conservation." The network includes 529 sites in 105 countries and the number is expected to go up in the coming years.
Asked why Al Reem was chosen, Dr Ishwaran said, "The choice of the area is the right of the governments concerned. Unesco has chosen Al Reem because of its unique eco-system. Desert eco-system is not included in the biosphere network so far."
The Gulf states are preferred destinations for private sector investments. This will enable Unesco and the programme to find resources to boost its initiatives in the area. Al Reem's identification has marked the beginning of collaboration that will lead innovative partnership to generate wide-ranging benefits for the future of the planet, Dr Ishwaran said.
Al Reem's selection is the result of a three-year-long team work between Unesco and Qatar Shell.
Al Reem is a habitat of unique flora and fauna. It has an estimated 5,500 herbivores, including endangered species. The biosphere reserve is located in the northwest of the country, between Zubara, Dukhan and Rawdat Al Farras, covering almost 10 per cent of Qatar's area.
Different habitat types are found in the area, including gravel desert with dwarf acacia trees, lycium shrubs and ziziphus trees.
The terrestrial ecosystems provide habitats for oryx, gazelles, desert hares, snakes, spiny-tailed lizards and birds. Al Reem's core area covers 60,494 and buffer zone covers 58,395 hectares. Its terrestrial transition area is about 170,561 and marine transition area is about 92,458 hectares.
© Bahrain Tribune 2007
