Everyone knows about the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, which ranks wild flora and fauna at risk of extinction. What many people may not know is that the IUCN also keeps a Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas that recognises sites that excel at governance, planning and design, effective management, and achieving positive conservation outcomes. Currently, there are less than 80 protected areas on the IUCN Green List out of over 300,000 protected areas worldwide.
Now, Saudi Arabia has joined the exclusive IUCN Green List for the first time with the addition of its Ibex Protected Area. Managed by the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), the Ibex Protected Area in the Tuwaiq mountain range spans across 1,840.9 square kilometres. The rugged plateau supports a variety of flora and fauna and was established as a protected area in 1988 at the request of local communities to safeguard a small herd of ibex, a threatened species.
As a result of NCW’s dedicated efforts, the ibex population, which has existed in the area for millennia, has significantly rebounded. The Ibex Protected Area also provides a habitat for other vulnerable species, including mountain, rock hyraxes, foxes, birds and reptiles. The area is home to diverse vegetation such as acacia trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses.
The inclusion of the Ibex Protected Area, which lies 180 kilometres south of Riyadh, makes it the 78th such listing in the IUCN Green List. It shows a global endorsement of the effectiveness of the NCW’s management and conservation efforts and highlights its success in protecting its rich natural resources, enhancing habitats, and promoting biodiversity. The recognition also affirms the area’s compliance with the IUCN Green List’s key criteria, including effective governance, transparency, scientific expertise and local knowledge-based management, and proactive planning to address environmental challenges.
According to Dr. Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the NCW, “The Ibex Protected Area's Green List status not only elevates its international standing but also advances our broader conservation and sustainable development initiatives. We are actively working with our partners in the wildlife sector to bring all our national protected areas up to this standard.”
The achievement also represents the continued progress of Saudi Arabia’s journey to reach the 30x30 Global Biodiversity Goal, which aims to protect 30 per cent of Earth’s lands and oceans by 2030. The NCW currently manages 11 protected areas across Saudi Arabia. Since 2017, it has supported the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s marine protected areas from 3.6 per cent to 6.5 per cent and its terrestrial protected areas from 4.5 per cent to 18.1 per cent.
(With inputs from a press release)