Conserving desert habitats

Protecting endangered arid habitats

Description

Conserving desert habitats involves implementing targeted measures to protect and restore fragile arid ecosystems from degradation, overgrazing, unsustainable resource extraction, and invasive species. Key actions include establishing protected areas, promoting sustainable land management, rehabilitating degraded zones, and supporting local communities in adopting conservation-friendly practices. These strategies aim to preserve biodiversity, maintain ecosystem services, and prevent desertification, ensuring the long-term resilience and productivity of desert environments.

Implementation

The Dana Wildlife Reserve in jordan encompasses an area of 308 km2 which contains an outstanding variety of natural habitats, extending from the Mediterranean semi-arid to the sand dune desert of the Wadi Araba lowlands. This variety of habitats results from a complex topography of mountains and wadis, falling in altitude from 1,500 metres above sea level to 100 metres below sea level within a transition zone of only 15 km. Within the Reserve have been recorded 555 plant species (including 93 which are rare) and 565 animal species. It has been identified as one of the most important non-wetland sites for conservation of birds in the Middle East.