Muscat – Oman has added Jabal Akhdar Nature Reserve and Al Sireen Nature Reserve to the Unesco World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), the Environment Authority announced at the 37th Man and the Biosphere International Coordinating Council (MAB-ICC) meeting in Lin’an, Hangzhou, China.

This marks Oman’s first inclusion in the global network, which currently comprises 759 reserves across 136 countries. The WNBR designation recognises sites as ‘living laboratories’ for sustainable development and models for human-nature coexistence.

The Jabal Akhdar reserve, spanning around 4,500 hectares in the western Hajar mountains, ranges from 600m to 2,980m above sea level. It is a key biodiversity area, home to 60% of Oman’s vascular plant species. Its wildlife includes the Arabian ibex, Arabian wolf, and over 71 bird species, such as the Egyptian vulture and golden eagle. Approximately 13,000 people reside in the transitional zone and 575 in the buffer zone, practising traditional agriculture and sustainable grazing.

Al Sireen Reserve, covering 103,888 hectares in the eastern Hajar mountains, 45km southwest of Muscat, features mountains, valleys and springs. Classified as a Category II reserve by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it hosts over 400 plant species, including ten endemics and four endangered species, alongside Arabian gazelle, red and blue foxes, reptiles, and diverse birdlife. The reserve also contains pre-Islamic rock carvings, reflecting its cultural and historical significance. Around 2,533 residents in the buffer and transitional zones rely on sustainable grazing, beekeeping and ecotourism.

The International Committee praised the reserves’ integrated management plans, combining conservation, sustainable development, and scientific research. Their designation contributes to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 3, which aims to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.

Oman’s inclusion in the WNBR highlights the nation’s natural and cultural wealth, and opens opportunities for international cooperation, research, and responsible ecotourism.

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