Four Key Topics Will Be Addressed At The 20th SICFAB
With the participation of more than 120 experts from 22 countries
The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) has completed the preparations for the 20th Sharjah International Conservation Forum for Arabian Biodiversity (SICFAB), which will be held on February 4th-7th. The three-day forum at Desert Park will address four key topics: the translocation of animals in order to conserve biodiversity, Key Biodiversity Areas, veterinary medicine in biodiversity conservation, and drones in biodiversity. More than 120 experts from 22 countries will participate in SICFAB.
H.E. Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, emphasised that Sharjah, with the continued support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has considerable experience related to the environment and the conservation of biodiversity. Sharjah is proactive, doing everything from providing an opportunity to review environmental issues, participating in consultations and discussions and exchanging ideas and information in the interests of raising awareness about issues related to biodiversity and finding solutions that advance international efforts in this area.
She pointed out that SICFAB aims to contribute to the development and formulation of strategies and action plans to protect endangered species in the Arab world based on the assessment and conservation management plan developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to conserve it.
Mrs Al Suwaidi added, “SICFAB is important because it is a meeting point for experts and specialists from around the world and a place to share expertise, experiences and information. This will help to determine the status of wildlife in the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula, which are very biodiverse. It also helps with the organisation of various plans for the protection of resources and biodiversity in the Arabian Peninsula.”
The 20th edition of SICFAB will address four main topics including the translocation of animals in order to conserve biodiversity. IUCN guidelines will be used to review the translocation of animals in the interests of conserving biodiversity in the region, taking factors such as preparing captive animals for release, evaluating the project’s success and monitoring the post-release process into consideration. Current issues including surplus management, rehabilitation, pest animals and animal translocation in response to development will also be discussed.
SICFAB will include a discussion of Key Biodiversity Areas and a review of ways to use the IUCN Global Standard in the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas. This will build on work that began in 2018 with the application of definitions, criteria and demarcation procedures for Key Biodiversity Areas for a new range of sites and species, including freshwater ecosystems.
SICFAB will also address the role of veterinary medicine in biodiversity conservation, a broad topic that deals with organisms that cause diseases in animals but also takes living organisms’ impacts on their environment and vice versa into account.
Finally, SICFAB will address the topic of drones and biodiversity, building on the success of last year’s session about drones. During breakout sessions, the participants will discuss the use of drones in environmental preservation research.
The 20th edition of SICFAB will be attended by the Saudi Wildlife Authority; the Environment Public Authority of Kuwait; the Scientific Center of Kuwait; the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR); the Supreme Council for the Environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain; the Environmental Conservation Office in the Diwan of the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman; Oman’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs; Oman’s Center For Environmental Studies and Research (CESAR); the UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water; Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature; the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS); Nature Iraq; IUCN; and BirdLife International, in addition to international organisations concerned with the protection of biodiversity and wildlife; local, Arab and international universities, research institutes and scientific centres; local, Arab and international zoos; organisations that manage protected areas; graduate students specialising in the environment; municipalities; municipal councils; and local environmental authorities in the UAE.
