The
next step in
converting the protected area of Wadi Wurayah into a working National Park has
been announced recently by Fujairah Municipality; the municipality is working
in cooperation with Emirates Wildlife Society - WWF.
An
Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the two entities to mark
the collaboration on the implementation of a management plan for establishing a
sustainable Protected Area integrating local tradition and lifestyle with the
conservation of region’s biodiversity and habitat.
EWS-WWF
and Fujairah Municipality agree to continue the successful collaboration to
ensure existing and future pressures on Wadi Wurayah’s natural resources, and
ensure the region is managed within an
ecologically sustainable framework, maintaining the characteristic and unique
natural biodiversity, involving the local community, and transform the area
into an important eco-tourism area for Fujairah.
Fujairah
Municipality will establish a committee dedicated to oversee the management of
the National Park to enforce best practices and high standards; Wadi Wurayah
will be given a protected boarder with rangers employed to care for the area
and its unique biodiversity and habitats.
In
a press release, the Engineer Mohamed Saif Al Afkham, Director General at
Fujairah Municipality has stated, “Wadi Wurayah continues to be a stronghold
for wildlife in the United Arab Emirate with the continuous discovery of new
species. We believe that this area is of great national importance to the UAE
and are dedicated to its on-going protection, whilst allowing the community to
gain access to and learn from its natural beauty.”
The
wadi is a 129 kilometre-square catchment that occupies the northern reaches of
Fujairah between the towns of Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah. In October 2010,
Wadi Wurayah officially joined the list of 1,932 wetlands around the world
which are of international importance for biodiversity conservation under the
Ramsar Convention.
Due
to its habitat diversity and the presence of permanent water, Wadi Wurayah is
considered an important stronghold for the wildlife in UAE.
Ida
Tillisch, Acting Director General at EWS-WWF has explained, “The signing of the
MOU is a great step forward in the on-going protection and preservation of Wadi Wurayah. We are excited to be working in
partnership with Fujairah Municipality in putting these plans into action and
believe they will help the community better appreciate the area’s natural
beauty whilst reaffirming its value. In the coming years we will be working
closely with Fujairah Municipalities and other partners to assess logistical
and management issues and put in place best practices to protect the species
and habitat and at the same time allow the community to explore and enjoy real
nature in the UAE ”.
Since
being declared the UAE’s first protected mountain area by His Highness Shaikh
Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of
Fujairah in 2009, continuous research has been carried out with the
installation of camera traps. As recently as in September 2011, 55 new species
have been found, including insects, arachnids and crustaceans, 25 of these are
considered new to science.
As
a National Park, the area will not only benefit the local natural heritage but
it is an important part of the management plan to engage the local community in
the establishment of eco-tourism of the area. This includes schools, colleges,
public and private sector and well as individuals who could be selling local
handicrafts through the visitor centre.
Available resource links point out interesting forms of life present in the region.
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