Management of protected areas in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

M. Sulayem and E. Joubert

Mohammed Sulayem is Director of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the World conservation union Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas for the Near East.

Eugene Joubert is Senior World conservation Union Advisor to the National commission for Wildlife conservation and Development.

Management of protected areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is presented as an example of efforts in North Africa and the Near East. The article covers criteria used for the selection of protected areas, the planning and implementation process of protected area management as practiced by the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD), ongoing research programmes and public awareness efforts.

The faunal and floral characteristics of North Africa and the Near East have adapted to the region's climatic features which vary from Mediterranean through semiarid to arid regimes. The biomes and ecosystems are particularly fragile and, despite traditionally developed patterns of sustainable use, increasing human pressure and needs over the recent past have taken their toll on the environment.

The flora of the region have affinities with two major floristic entities: the Saharo-Arabian and the Sudano-Zambezian flora, as described by Takhtagan (1986). The Saharo-Arabian floristic province, with its desert and semi-desert forms, has a low species diversity of only about 1500 species. The Sudano-Zambezian floristic province covers a vast area of Africa and most of extratropical Saudi Arabia and consists mainly of open wooded savannah grasslands. Takhtagan divides this province into four subprovinces and it is represented in Saudi Arabia by the South-Arabian form of the Eritreo-Arabian subprovince. This area has an important concentration of endemic species in such genera as Acacia, Aloe, Cadaba, Ceropegia, Commiphora, Crotalaria and Indigofera. The flora of the South-Arabian form is the richest on the Arabian Peninsula and also the most complex, given its altitudinal zonation and species diversity. It is noteworthy that more than 1000 of the approximately 3500 plant species of Saudi Arabia have either Mediterranean or Iranian affinities. The Mediterranean elements are mostly represented at high elevations in the mountains of the western escarpment, while the Irano-Turanian elements penetrate the eastern parts of the peninsula.

The zoogeography of the Arabian Peninsula has been well documented. Twenty-four of the mammal species and subspecies that are endemic to the Arabian Peninsula occur in Saudi Arabia. The high profile species that are receiving most of the conservation attention in Saudi Arabia at present are the five large ungulates, i.e. Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), Nubian ibex (Capra ibex), the idmi or mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), reem or sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and the afri or Saudi dorcas gazelle (Dorcas gazella),

Five species of marine turtles have been described from Saudi Arabian waters, of which the green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles are known to breed on its sandy beaches. Dugong (Dugong dugon) occur naturally in high numbers; the Saudi Arabian region is one of the two most important areas in the world for this animal. Very little is known about the status of the distribution of other marine mammals, but several species of whale and common species of dolphin are known to frequent the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.

The Red Sea and Persian Gulf coasts and their associated islands are globally important for birds, either Palaearctic migrants, winter residents or resident breeding birds. The tidal flats of the Persian Gulf are considered among the world's most important over wintering areas, annually hosting between one and two million waders of about 125 species. At least 14 species of sea birds breed along the Red Sea coast, of which four species and two subspecies are endemic to the region.

Three terrestrial bird species have been identified as flagship species: the Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata), Ostrich (Strutho camelus syriacus) and the Arabian bustard (Ardeotus araba). The former two species are at present being bred in captivity at a research station in Saudi Arabia. The breeding programme, particularly of the Houbara bustard, has been so successful that they are now being released in selected protected areas.

The Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) has been successfully bred in captivity and reintroduced into areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Regional development of conservation management

Nature conservation in this region has a very long history. It appears that the Egyptians already had an understanding of their environment 5000 years ago. Considering the arid environment and resulting resource scarcity, it is not surprising that systems to allocate grazing and water rights developed at an early stage. Forests and arable land were also strictly controlled. In Lebanon, boundary stones demarcating an ancient forest domain and dating back to AD 138 can still be seen.

On the Arabian Peninsula, protected areas were basically grazing reserves known as himas. Virtually every village was associated with one or more himas. Management of the himas was highly adaptive to the particular requirements of a given village and the potential of a given area. For example, himas were managed to: limit animal grazing but allow the cutting of fodder; permit seasonal grazing and fodder cutting after plants had flowered, thus ensuring natural reseeding; limit grazing to certain types of animals, or protect tree resources. This hima system reached an advanced stage of development in the early Islamic era and, even today in Saudi Arabia, the areas that have best withstood the ravages of human demands are the traditional himas.

TABLE 1. Summary of the protected area system of North Africa and the Near East

Country	Area of country (km²)	Area in categories 1 I-V (km²)	Percentage	Area in categories 1 VI-VIII (km²)	Percentage	Total area designated (km²)	Percentage
Afghanistan	652225	1834	0.3	0	0.0	1834	0.3
Algeria	2381745	126953	5.3	0	0.0	126953	5.3
Bahrain	661	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0
Cyprus	9250	20	0.2	90	1.0	110	1.2
Egypt	1000250	8004	0.8	0	0.0	8004	0.8
Iran, Islamic Rep.	1648000	79794	4.8	3199	0.2	82993	5.0
Iraq	438445	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0
Israel	20770	2067	10.0	0	0.0	2067	10.0
Jordan	96000	1004	1.0	0	0.0	1004	1.0
Kuwait	24280	300	1.2	0	0.0	300	1.2
Lebanon	10400	35	0.3	0	0.0	35	0.3
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	1759540	1550	0.1	170	0.0	1720	0.1
Morocco	458730	3621	0.8	156	0.0	3777	0.8
Oman	271950	540	0.2	27823	10.2	28363	10.4
Qatar	11435	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom	2400900	211974	8.8	0	0.0	211974	8.8
Syrian Arab Rep.	185680	0	0.0	150	0.1	150	0.1
Tunisia	164150	444	0.3	1312	0.8	1756	1.1
Turkey	779450	2692	0.3	2123	0.3	4815	0.6
United Arab Emirates	75150	0	0.0	127	0.2	127	0.2
Western Sahara	252120	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0
Yemen	477530	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0
TOTAL	13118661	440832	3.4	35150	0.3	475982	3.6

¹ IUCN categories; for definition, see Table 2.

In its wisdom, Islamic teaching recognizes the significance of natural ecosystems and their various components for the welfare of the world. It stresses the importance of conserving renewable resources and human beings' role as their custodian while using them to generate the greatest good over time. Failure to heed these tenets, leading to extensive demands for the goods and services generated by natural ecosystems, has been a prime cause of human strife and suffering throughout history. It has contributed to the collapse of empires and whole political systems. Saudi Arabia recognizes that its natural ecosystems remain its most durable assets, provided they are managed correctly. The creation of a well-maintained system of protected areas is central to the conservation and development of its renewable resources for the sake of all citizens, now and in the future.

Protected areas in the region

Because of local traditions and cultures, the legal status of protected areas varies greatly in the countries of the region. The Western approach (widely used across the rest of the world as well), whereby a protected area only reaches this status after its boundaries have been promulgated in legislation passed by parliament, is not always applicable to the region. In the Islamic world, the traditional and cultural protection certain areas receive are no less binding than areas protected by Western laws. Unfortunately, many of these areas are not recognized by the international conservation authorities, which are very westernized in their approach and application of criteria. In any case, the latest information available on protected areas in the region is the 1990 United Nations list of national parks and protected areas, categorized according to IUCN parameters. It indicates that protected areas cover a total of almost 48 million ha or 3.6 percent of the total area of the region (Table 1). Four countries (Bahrain, Iraq, Western Sahara and Yemen) report no areas set aside for nature conservation. Israel and Oman report 10 percent or more of their total country area as being protected while Saudi Arabia at present has 8.8 percent of its national territory designated for protection; this figure will increase to more than 10 percent within the next year with the inclusion of new protected areas. Most of the protected areas in the countries mentioned above are managed by national conservation agencies. In several of these countries, security zones along international borders are de facto protected areas, at least to the extent that the presence of humans is severely restricted within their boundaries.

A system plan for protected areas in Saudi Arabia

Despite the vast oil reserves and industrial development that their exploitation has encouraged in the country, the inherent importance of the nation's natural ecosystems was never ignored. Earlier on, two governmental agencies, the Ministry for Agriculture and Water and the Meteorological and Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA) were responsible for conservation issues. It became clear, however, that for the creation of a representative, well-maintained system of protected areas, and to develop its renewable resources to the benefit of all its citizens, an organization needed to be established with this as its principal mandate. In 1986, by Royal Decree M/22, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD).

One of the basic objectives of the NCWCD is to develop and maintain a representative system of effective protected areas in the country. This plan builds on the ancient tradition of himas, which have been in existence for hundreds of years in Saudi Arabia and are still used for the conservation, allocation and proper use of renewable resources. Protected areas elsewhere in the world were often created in the past to protect spectacular or unique natural features. With the expanded pragmatic role that nature reserves are now expected to fulfil in support of sustainable development, the selection of appropriate areas and the achievement of adequate coverage has become a much more objective process. Other things being equal, it is logical in selecting areas to ensure adequate coverage of widespread ecological types and their elements in preference to small, less representative types. Increasing the amount of land under a high level of protection needs to be a deliberate process of raising the level of coverage of the country's biological diversity according to a well-considered set of priorities.

In Saudi Arabia the following criteria are used:

· representative coverage of the country's physiographic and biogeographic units, on the basis of reliable classifications;

· recognition of the need to protect adequate, suitable habitats for a number of high-profile "flagship" species, or those of special significance and to which the NCWCD's species conservation programme is heavily committed;

· adequate protection of habitats of key biological importance; and

· an equitable geopolitical spread of protected areas throughout the country, so as to apportion the benefits of conservation as fairly as possible.

It is important to note that the long-term goal of the conservation management efforts of the NCWCD is sustainable utilization; that is to say, resources are to be conserved and protected, not as an end in itself, but as a means to ensure that they will be available for use, now and in the future.

Unfortunately, particularly in the case of wildlife resources, the low densities of current populations mean that use must be restricted. Sustainable use is, in essence, the second phase in the conservation timetable. However, in Farasan, where natural resources have reached levels that permit utilization, the NCWCD is in the process of developing a management plan.

Prior to the creation of the NCWCD, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water established the Asir National Park in 1981, while the island of Umm Al-Qamari had been given de facto protected area status in 1977. MEPA also made specific proposals to have certain marine and terrestrial areas protected. Based on these proposals and further surveys by the NCWCD, 47 sites have now been identified as possible marine and coastal protected areas. These areas represent sites of special importance to the biology of high-profile marine species such as dugong, marine turtles and sea birds.

On a similar basis, areas suggested by MEPA and other agencies, or identified by NCWCD surveys, were subjected to detailed analyses to determine their importance in terms of biological diversity. In this way, 57 terrestrial sites were identified as being possibly suitable for protection. Accepting that the creation of a system of protected areas should follow a logical sequence, a process was evolved for setting priorities. The procedure involved groups of criteria divided into two sets: the "natural values" which decide the merits of an area for protection; and the "practical considerations" which determine whether this is feasible and, if so, the urgency for action.

TABLE 2. The different categories of protected areas used in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian category	Equivalent IUCN categories
Special natural reserve	I	Strict nature reserve/scientific reserve
	II	National park
	IV	Nature conservation reserve or managed reserve/wildlife sanctuary
Natural reserve	II	National park
	IV	Nature conservation reserve or managed reserve/wildlife sanctuary
Biological reserve	I	Strict nature reserve
		Managed reserve
Resource use reserve	V	Protected landscape or seascape
	VI	Resource reserve
	VIII	Multiple use management area/managed
	IX	Biosphere reserve
Controlled hunting reserve	VIII	Managed resource area

The natural criteria are species value; biomes; physiographic considerations; ecological processes; and other aesthetic features; while the practical criteria are possible conflict, e.g. with grazing; benefits; local support; configuration, e.g. close proximity to other sites; and the risk of degradation.

Based on this set of criteria, a priority ranking has been allocated to each area and, to date, 11 areas have already been designated by the NCWCD Board of Directors as having priority for protection. In contrast to other countries, where protected areas are subdivided into various zones, the system used in Saudi Arabia is different. Here, the aims of zonation are met by clustering different classes of protected areas together. This is a technique that is practiced in the management of traditional himas and the concept is already in position in several of the already proclaimed protected areas.

A pragmatic, flexible approach was used when the five categories for protected areas to be used in Saudi Arabia were defined. Each of the categories approximate several of the international categories adopted by the IUCN (see Table 2). Protected areas created by the NCWCD up to the end of 1989 have mostly been controlled hunting reserves in which all hunting has been banned. In the case of Mahazat as-Sayd, the area has been enclosed with a 2.5 m high diamond mesh fence, and all grazing by domestic stock has been excluded, with noticeable beneficial results for the previously overgrazed range. Captive-bred oryx, reem, ostrich and Houbara bustard have been introduced into this reserve as stocks have become available since 1990.

Sheep and goats, but not camels, have been excluded from most of the Harrat al-Harah Protected Area for the last five years. The 7000 or so camels have been a severe obstacle to habitat recovery and the NCWCD is now engaged in a programme to reduce their number substantially. The removal of camels from the core areas of the National Ibex Reserve (by fencing), where there is no tradition of sheep and goat grazing, appears to have had a beneficial effect on the relict ibex population. The animals are much more visible and there is a good proportion of young. Herds of up to 30 have been reported. The introduced idmi are also doing extremely well and have spread naturally over most of the protected area.

Nature conservation management in Saudi Arabia

Structure of the NCWCD

As already mentioned, the NCWCD was established in 1986 by Royal Decree, with the responsibility of conserving Saudi Arabia's wild living resources, both animal and plant, and of establishing and managing protected areas for wildlife conservation. The NCWCD has a Board of Directors, chaired by the second deputy prime minister and consisting of the minister of the interior, the minister of foreign affairs, the minister of agriculture and water, the governor of Asir Region, the president of the King Abdulaziz City of Sciences and Technology, the president of MEPA and the secretary-general of the NCWCD. The elements of the commission are the Board of Directors, a managing director (the minister of foreign affairs) and an advisory committee to the managing director. Administrative operations are divided into financial and administrative affairs, wildlife conservation and research and field studies, each headed by a director-general. The NCWCD also operates three wildlife research centres and a marine research centre.

The NCWCD budget for 1992 totalled US$ 17.2 million and was derived from funds appropriated from the national budget; revenues that it earned from activities in its scope of work; grants, aid, donations and wills, which are approved according to rules set by the Board of Directors.

Staff resources

The NCWCD employs 319 people of which 163 are rangers. To develop an efficient and capable staff and corps of rangers, training receives a lot of attention. Ongoing training of the range corps is aimed at improving their ability to observe and report on the type of biological data required by conservation management and research staff, i.e. recording: climatological data; the condition of grazing areas; the general condition of animals; their movements and activity patterns; the preferred areas and food plants; reproductive activities, etc. Attention is also given to law enforcement, public relations work and the preparation of field reports as well as on practical issues such as vehicle maintenance; radio procedures; use of compasses; map reading; first aid and basic survival techniques.

A growing awareness of the vulnerability of parts of ecosystems or individual species that have not yet been afforded the sanctuary of a protected area led to the creation of a cooperative ranger force in 1993. Suitable individuals from the local communities are identified and are then, on an almost voluntary basis, employed to look after pockets of wildlife outside protected areas. This system is being implemented with the full cooperation of emirs and local sheiks. Although the scheme is still in its infancy, with the growing public awareness and enthusiasm in local communities, it promises to be a success.

Nature conservation management

Protected areas can only serve their purpose if they are managed correctly. Deciding on management objectives and how to achieve them was, and still is, no easy task. However, by using the documents and maps outlining the justification for the need for the protection of a certain area as baseline, this is readily transformed into a framework that then became the initial management plan for the area. This set of preliminary management goals, in turn, gives direction to the staff on the ground and supports their actions with the enforcement of law.

Management actions normally evolve naturally and logically after the proclamation of an area. The first is to demarcate the boundaries. When this has been achieved the area becomes a legal entity and meaningful management can commence. If the protected area is not fenced, as in most areas of Saudi Arabia, the boundaries are marked at frequent intervals. Staff are normally deployed in an area as soon as possible. It is important that the staff be fully briefed as to their responsibilities as this ensures that the management is an ongoing, hands-on operation.

In the process of developing a protected area, a lot of attention is given to the actual placing of service buildings and accommodation for the rangers. Where practicable, these are placed on the periphery of the protected area or just outside its limits. Care is taken that these buildings are aesthetically pleasing and create the minimum visual impact. Supervisors see to it that their field stations are kept neat and tidy.

The main tasks to be accomplished in a particular protected area are decided on annually. This facilitates budgeting and the allocation of staff and resources. More important, it provides a measure against which to judge performance, especially with regard to major developments or acquisitions, the achievement of routine activities such as patrol coverage, data collection and the maintenance of assets or the spending of funds allocated.

Nature conservation research

Until recently, most of the NCWCD's research work focused on breeding programmes for endangered species. Successful captive breeding programmes have allowed the NCWCD to reintroduce Arabian oryx, idmi and reem into protected areas. The herd that was released in the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area has transformed itself into a viable population which now numbers 91. Ongoing monitoring and research programmes on these released mammals form a major part of the research activities by staff of the NCWCD as well as by visiting scientists.

The NCWCD is also involved in a very active avifaunal research and monitoring programme. International acclaim has been earned with its Houbara conservation programme. Over the past five years, the captive breeding programme has outgrown its initial difficulties and an ever-increasing number of birds are becoming available for release. The released birds are monitored to assess their success in adapting to the wild. The movements of several individuals are monitored with the aid of radiotelemetry. Another elusive rare bird, the Arabian bustard, is also receiving attention, together with raptors and avian scavengers. A project has been initiated to document the importance of the wetlands to the large numbers of species that annually migrate through the country. Intensive studies and bird ringing programmes have been initiated with the sea birds on the offshore islands in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Species nesting on the islands, e.g. several species of terns, cormorants and boobies, are the focal points of research projects.

The organizational skills and adaptability of the NCWCD were severely tested during the Persian Gulf conflict when the oil spills threatened the total ecological spectrum of the area. The NCWCD responded to the challenge by establishing a wildlife rescue centre. International cooperation was solicited and intensive programmes for habitat recovery were launched. In retrospect, this was a very successful exercise which, beyond the immediate benefits, resulted in the creation of the first marine protected area in the Persian Gulf. Research and monitoring programmes initiated at the time on the Gulf marine ecology are also being continued in cooperation with the European Economic Community. At present, more than 19 major research projects through the tidal and intertidal zones are being conducted.

Attention is also being given to a number of intensive research projects in the Farasan Archipelago Protected Area in the Red Sea. Among these projects are terrestrial research on the birds, gazelles and vegetation on the islands as well as marine projects, including surveys on the mangrove ecosystem. Apart from NCWCD staff and specialists from Saudi Arabian universities, private participants from Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom are also involved. A unique feature of this exercise is the involvement of a socio-economist. The final objective is to prepare a management plan, through the involvement of the local inhabitants, that would ensure the sustainable utilization of the natural resources of the protected area.

Public awareness programme

The NCWCD has launched a public awareness programme in the country, with the production of diverse educational materials, including a weekly television programme. It has produced television documentaries on conservation-related topics while brochures and posters are developed on an ongoing basis. A permanent exhibition on the country's wildlife is housed at the visitors" centre, located at the NCWCD headquarters in Riyadh.

The NCWCD has a well-stocked library which also houses more than 200 internal reports on various research projects and its own publications on conservation-related issues. It also maintains a large audiovisual library with copies of video and radio cassettes and photographic slides. Lists of these materials are available on request to other conservation organizations and agencies.

Conclusion

Considering the size of the country and its biophysical diversity, the creation of a sound system of protected areas is a formidable task - the more so as the system must be appropriate to Saudi Arabia's socio-economic circumstances and be generally accepted, especially by rural communities that have to face the brunt of the hidden costs involved, e.g. the restriction of grazing rights.

To be successful in the long term, the conservation action in most countries of the region must be adapted towards providing the ecological foundation for sustainable national economic development in a rapidly changing world. The success of the management of protected areas in Saudi Arabia could be attributed to the fact that the country's conservation initiative is guided by this principle.

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