Divers for the Environment December 2021

Page 13

NEWS

THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI LAUNCHES THE ABU DHABI RED LIST OF WILDLIFE SPECIES REPORT BY ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI

Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola) IUCN Status:Vulnerable (VU)

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) IUCN Status: Endangered (EN)

Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin (Sousa plumbea) IUCN Status:Vulnerable (VU) Arabian Tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Umbrella Thorn Acacia (Vachellia tortilis) IUCN Status: Endangered (EN)

Blanford Fox (Vulpes cana) IUCN Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Abu Dhabi, 21st of September 2021: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) recently launched the first ever Abu Dhabi Red List of Wildlife Species, (AD-RLS) which is an assessment of the threat status of the emirate’s terrestrial and marine species. The development of the Abu Dhabi Red List of Wildlife Species is the outcome of a project undertaken by the Agency to understand and assess the risk faced by groups of species found in Abu Dhabi. A total of 244 species were assessed, including 101 plants, 49 birds, 9 marine species, 32 terrestrial mammals, 25 invertebrates, 26 reptiles and 2 amphibians. Out of the 244 species assessed, 74 are under different threat categories, such as critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable. Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, EAD’s Secretary-General said, “The Abu Dhabi Red List is a welcome addition to our knowledge on the threat status of species found in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi Red List is based on the internationally recognised Red List Criteria, developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the assessments of threat status have gone through extensive external review from a team of experts from the IUCN, the Red List Authority, and independent experts. ‘‘Abu Dhabi has a rich diversity of species and has some of the most important species. Their populations are effectively protected by the Agency through managing the largest network

in the region of protected areas to conserve endangered species and their natural habitats. However, understanding the risk and evaluating the threats faced by them as well as other species, will help us better protect them.’’ Ahmed Al Hashmi, Acting Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector said, ‘‘The Abu Dhabi Red List of Wildlife Species has been long overdue, and it is an important addition to our understanding of the threats to the species in line with the global standards of the IUCN. “The Abu Dhabi Red List also complements the National Red List development. undertaken by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and is consistent with the development of such lists at local, national and regional levels.” Commenting on the Abu Dhabi Red List of Wildlife Species, Dr Salim Javed, Acting Director, Terrestrial Biodiversity and Manager of the Red List Project at EAD said, “The Abu Dhabi Red List is the outcome of the evaluation of extinction risk of over 244 species, based on quantitative criteria. It is an important first step towards understanding the conservation status of Abu Dhabi’s biodiversity. “With 30% of the total assessed species classified as threatened, the Abu Dhabi Red List will help the Agency to prioritise conservation actions for some of the most threatened species in the emirate, which may include developing more systematic monitoring as well as species-specific conservation action plans in

order to protect them Dr Javed added.” He further explained how the Abu Dhabi Red List of Wildlife Species is an excellent example of capacity building, as assessments were undertaken by a team of scientists from the Agency’s Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector, with support from the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) and Provita. As a result, this will help EAD in undertaking such assessments in future to evaluate the status of species, measure effectiveness of conservation actions taken and guide the Agency in effective decision making to protect threatened species. Within one of the largest programmes for species’ reintroduction in the world, EAD has undertaken some of the most ambitious and successful projects to reintroduce species that were on the brink of extinction such as the Arabian Oryx and Scimitar-horned Oryx, and Abu Dhabi now houses the largest herd of Arabian Oryx in the world. The Shaikh Zayed Network of 13 terrestrial and six marine protected areas, managed by the Agency, provides protection to some of the most threatened and important terrestrial and marine species and their habitats. Furthermore, EAD has a plant nursery with a production capacity of nearly 500,000 plants annually and has more than 70 different native plant species propagated to date.These plant species include many rare and threatened species and are used for habitat restoration efforts across the Emirate. EAD has successfully rehabilitated important plant species such as the Al Sarh, Ghaf and Samar trees in their natural habitat to ensure that they continue to remain part of the Emirate’s landscape and its cultural heritage. DECEMBER 2021 | DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

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Articles inside

How to Improve Your Diving Safety and Performance

16min
pages 90-93

Minke Magic on the Great Barrier Reef

8min
pages 82-89

Feeling Down – Can I Dive?

6min
page 94

Socotra

5min
pages 78-81

Getting into Underwater Photography

10min
pages 72-77

Enter Digital Online 2022

17min
pages 66-71

Diving Into the Gift of Choice

8min
pages 62-65

My Buddy

7min
pages 58-61

The North Norfolk Chalk Reef

7min
pages 52-57

Your Eyes, Your Data

7min
pages 46-51

Working to Make a Difference with the Manatees of Belize

3min
pages 40-45

Feature Creature

26min
pages 34-39

Reef Check Contributes to Newly Released Status of Coral Reefs of the World Report

3min
page 32

Reef Check Malaysia

8min
pages 30-31

The Pink Mask Story Series

8min
pages 26-29

Adaptability of PADI’s Diving Programme

4min
page 19

PADI’s Christmas Gift Guide

5min
pages 20-21

My Passion for Scuba Diving

8min
pages 24-25

An Eco-Warriors Clean-up

2min
pages 22-23

EAD Launches a New Series of Podcasts

4min
page 18

In Alignment with UAE Government Vision

8min
pages 16-17

EDA Co-Founder’s Note

2min
page 5

EPAA Reports High Levels of Marine Debris in Four Species of Sea Turtles in Sharjah

5min
pages 10-11

Dive Together Campaign

2min
page 7

EPAA Investigates Mass Stranding of Sea Snakes in the Arabian Gulf

3min
page 12

An EDA Movie Screening

1min
pages 8-9

EAD and ENGIE Launch Phase 20 of the Mangrove Rehabilitation Project Using Drone Technologies

3min
page 15

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi

3min
page 13

EAD Monitors One of the Rarest Blue Holes

2min
page 14
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