The Fernandina giant tortoise is one of many animals facing an uncertain future. AFP
The Fernandina giant tortoise is one of many animals facing an uncertain future. AFP
The Fernandina giant tortoise is one of many animals facing an uncertain future. AFP
The Fernandina giant tortoise is one of many animals facing an uncertain future. AFP

From Madagascar to India: The conservation sites crucial to preventing 'mass extinction'


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

Preserving almost 17,000 key conservation sites around the globe could prevent the continued devastating loss of species, scientists have said in a study.

They have identified 16,825 "Conservation Imperative" locations that cover 1.2 per cent of the world’s land surface that, if protected, could ensure the survival of the most threatened or rare species.

Scores of these sites are on the Arabian Peninsula, including in Yemen, which is among the world’s top 30 countries when measured by the number of sites that should be protected.

The research could address concerns among conservationists that while progress is being made when it comes to preserving areas for nature, many conserved sites are not rich in biodiversity.

"Conservation Imperatives occupy only a small portion of the emerging global conservation portfolio but offer high-quality opportunities to protect the diversity of life on Earth," the scientists wrote in their study, published on Tuesday in Frontiers in Science.

Protecting the highlighted sites, which cover a total of 164 million hectares, could prevent all forecast extinctions, the researchers said.

This would help to curtail what is often described as the sixth mass extinction in geological history, which biologists have said the world is currently experiencing.

The most recent mass extinction was some 66 million years ago, when the dinosaurs were wiped out.

Scientists have for many decades linked their extinction to a comet or asteroid strike.

How much investment is needed?

The authors identified 78 Conservation Imperative locations in Yemen in need of protection, along with 70 in Syria and others elsewhere in the region, including in Saudi Arabia.

About 38 per cent of the locations are next to or within 2.5km of an existing protected area, which could make it cheaper and easier to acquire and manage land.

Conserving all the sites around the world would cost $263 billion, the researchers said, while the bill for protecting those in the tropics alone would be $169 billion.

In line with these figures, Andy Lee, of an NGO called Resolve, said that the annual cost of protecting tropical sites would be about $34 billion.

"This represents less than 0.2 per cent of the United States’ GDP, less than nine per cent of the annual subsidies benefiting the global fossil fuel industry, and a fraction of the revenue generated from the mining and agroforestry industries each year," Mr Lee said.

In the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 countries in 2022, a target was set for 30 per cent of natural environments on land and sea to be protected by 2030, often referred to as 30x30.

Lynch's Colombian tree frog faces an uncertain future. Photo: ProAves
Lynch's Colombian tree frog faces an uncertain future. Photo: ProAves

Among the many animals around the world that face an uncertain future are the giant pangolin, Przewalski's horse, the Fernandina giant tortoise and Lynch's Colombian tree frog, efforts to preserve all of which have been supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund in the UAE.

The research highlights dozens of types of habitat that contain important conservation sites, among them humid, sub-humid and dry forests in Madagascar, montane grasslands in Ethiopia, lowland rainforests in Borneo, steppes in Kazakhstan and lowland rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Is enough being done?

Nicolas Heard, acting director general of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, said that this commitment "whilst crucial in helping to address the biodiversity crisis, may not in itself necessarily protect those species most threatened with extinction" or ensure that protected areas are rich enough in biodiversity.

"This article highlights and assesses this potential discrepancy, and provides a solution through the newly termed Conservation Imperatives," Mr Heard told The National.

"These are areas which the authors have identified as being crucial to protect as part of the drive towards 30x30 to ensure that the world’s most threatened species are conserved – benefiting from that habitat protection."

Mr Heard said the study also brought to attention that while there is genuine progress being made towards the 30x30 goal, "many of the areas [are] poor in biodiversity".

"The article reiterates the need for a rich variety species as essential to a healthy habitat, and on the need for the global conservation community to redouble efforts to specifically conserve species," he said.

Brendan Godley, a professor of conservation science at the University of Exeter in the UK who was not connected with the study, said that "species are being lost much faster than they’re appearing" as a result of habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, pollution and invasive species.

"With the advent of big data, people are able to look at where there are a lot of species concentrated and these are areas that should be protected whether on land, freshwater or in the sea," Prof Godley said.

He said that there was "a lot of momentum" in efforts to preserve natural environments because it was increasingly realised that "business is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment".

This means that people now recognise that nature provides "ecosystem services" – benefits that humans get from healthy natural environments – such as clean water, materials, energy and food.

Prof Godley said the aim of preserving 30 per cent of the world’s area for nature was "probably more likely to happen in the oceans".

Over the past decade, an estimated one million pangolins have been poached. Reuters /Kham
Over the past decade, an estimated one million pangolins have been poached. Reuters /Kham

"The momentum is really building for 30 per cent marine protection by 2030 in the global ocean," he said.

While most of the oceans typically do not face some pressures that have squeezed natural environments on land, such as building houses, Prof Godley said they have tended to not have the same protection, either.

"There’s a growing realisation there should be international agreements on the protected areas beyond national jurisdictions because of the importance of the oceans," he said.

"The seas lagged behind the land with regard to protection and they seem to be catching up."

One concern with trying to protect natural environments, particularly on land, is that the world’s population is continuing to grow and is not expected to peak until the second half of this century.

Prof Godley said that while population growth was a concern when it came to preserving natural environments, possibly more important was how people lived their lives and their levels of consumption.

"[It depends on] whether we create circular systems for the materials we use or we continue with rampant consumerism and a throwaway culture," he said.

Endangered species - in pictures

  • The golden toad has been categorised as extinct on the IUCN's Red List. Getty Images
    The golden toad has been categorised as extinct on the IUCN's Red List. Getty Images
  • The dodo is a flightless bird native to Mauritius and is listed as extinct. Getty Images
    The dodo is a flightless bird native to Mauritius and is listed as extinct. Getty Images
  • The blue whale, the world's biggest animal, is listed as endangered. However, the population is increasing in size. Getty Images
    The blue whale, the world's biggest animal, is listed as endangered. However, the population is increasing in size. Getty Images
  • The jaguar saw an estimated 20 to 25 per cent drop in numbers in the two decades or so up to its most recent assessment in 2016. EPA
    The jaguar saw an estimated 20 to 25 per cent drop in numbers in the two decades or so up to its most recent assessment in 2016. EPA
  • Three species of orangutan – the Bornean, the Sumatran and the Trapanuli, are all critically endangered. EPA
    Three species of orangutan – the Bornean, the Sumatran and the Trapanuli, are all critically endangered. EPA
  • The saiga antelope has moved from critically endangered to near threatened, a three-category improvement. AFP
    The saiga antelope has moved from critically endangered to near threatened, a three-category improvement. AFP
  • The Eastern Pacific green turtle is listed as vulnerable to extinction. USFWS
    The Eastern Pacific green turtle is listed as vulnerable to extinction. USFWS
  • Green Sea Turtle in Fiji. Getty Images
    Green Sea Turtle in Fiji. Getty Images
  • The scimitar-horned oryx, is now thriving in the wild in large part thanks to breeding efforts in the UAE. Reuters
    The scimitar-horned oryx, is now thriving in the wild in large part thanks to breeding efforts in the UAE. Reuters
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ric%20Roman%20Waugh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EGerard%20Butler%2C%20Navid%20Negahban%2C%20Ali%20Fazal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

Catchweight 60kg: Mohammed Al Katheeri (UAE) beat Mostafa El Hamy (EGY) TKO round 3

Light Heavyweight: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) no contest Kevin Oumar (COM) Unintentional knee by Oumer

Catchweight 73kg:  Yazid Chouchane (ALG) beat Ahmad Al Boussairy (KUW) Unanimous decision

Featherweight: Faris Khaleel Asha (JOR) beat Yousef Al Housani (UAE) TKO in round 2 through foot injury

Welterweight: Omar Hussein (JOR) beat Yassin Najid (MAR); Split decision

Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Sallah Eddine Dekhissi (MAR); Round-1 TKO

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Musalim (UAE) beat Medhat Hussein (EGY); Triangle choke submission

Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) beat Sofiane Oudina (ALG); Triangle choke Round-1

Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Saleem Al Bakri (JOR); Unanimous decision

Bantamweight: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Nawras Abzakh (JOR); TKO round-2

Catchweight 63kg: Rany Saadeh (PAL) beat Abdel Ali Hariri (MAR); Unanimous decision

Key developments

All times UTC 4

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

End of free parking

- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18

- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued

- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket

- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200. 

- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200

- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGuillermo%20del%20Toro%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tim%20Blake%20Nelson%2C%20Sebastian%20Roche%2C%20Elpidia%20Carrillo%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIXTURES

Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl

DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Reading List

Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung

How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever

Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays

How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

FINAL SCORES

Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs

(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)

Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs

(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)

Jewel of the Expo 2020

252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome

13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas

550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome

724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses

Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa

Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site

The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants

Al Wasl means connection in Arabic

World’s largest 360-degree projection surface

Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

Launched: October 2019

Employees: 50

Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

Keane on …

Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”

Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Updated: June 26, 2024, 6:56 AM