Current Status of Nature Reserves in Palestine Imadeddin

Journal of entomology and zoology studies, 2017

Nature reserves are an important component of the strategy to halt biodiversity loss caused by habitat fragmentation and loss, climate change, and other anthropogenic factors. The results of our study showed that: (1). Palestine currently has 50 nature reserves covering approximately (511.58 km2), 9% of the West Bank region area. These reserves were established for a variety of reasons often unrelated to the protection of biodiversity. In the year 1999, the Ministry of environmental affairs proposed the establishment of Wadi Gaza wetland reserve, which is the first nature reserve was declared by the Palestinian legislative council. The smallest nature reserve has an area of (0.01 Km2), and the largest has an area of (85.59 Km2). The Palestinian nature reserves institutional framework, either out of date or not covering all aspects of nature reserves and emerging issues at the national level More scientific approach is needed to effectively re-establish and manage nature reserves in ...

Journal of Landscape Ecology, 2014

The geographic location of Israel and the Palestinian Authorityon the border between Mediterranean and desert climate, and the strong topographic and geomorphological variation resulting from its position on the Great African Rift Valley, combine to sustain a great diversity of landscapes in a very small country. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the protected areas in Israel and the Palestinian Authority adequately represent the range of landscapes and ecosystems in the region. Altogether, we defined 23 natural ecosystem-units in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, of which 17 are terrestrial landscapes and 6 are aquatic systems. In considering the adequacy of coverage in protected areas, we mapped Israel and the Palestinian Authority landscapes according to a set of environmental factors (climatic, geomorphological, geological and botanical) that we believe most effectively distinguish landscape types in this region. When the separation between adjacent units rel...

PARKS

Palestine is part of the Fertile Crescent and known to be rich in faunal and floral biodiversity relative to its latitude. The South Jerusalem hills with their ancient villages (collectively called the Al-Arqoub cluster) provide ideal areas for conservation within the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. The area was listed on an emergency basis as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. This study assessed the biodiversity and threats, and the data was used to designate it a protected area by the Environment Quality Authority (EQA). We documented 417 plant species, 15 fungi, 105 birds, 3 amphibians, 12 reptiles and 31 mammals. Threats to this rich biodiversity included harmful agricultural practices, overexploitation, construction of Israeli settlements, urbanisation, habitat loss, land fragmentation and limited enforcement of laws. Management plans were established and began to be implemented for the site with the aim of biocultural conservation. Four marginalised communities around the valley system (Al-Walaja, Battir, Husan and Beit Jala) benefited through: a) environmentally friendly agricultural production for 81 farmers, b) developing and empowering women in eco-friendly production and marketing, c) enhancing ecotourism, d) implementing an ecosystem restoration model and e) education and capacity building leading to behaviour change. Based on IUCN criteria, we consider 'Al-Arqoub' as a vulnerable ecosystem worthy of enhanced protective status and, based on our studies, the EQA designated it as a protected area category VI (protected with sustainable use of natural resources). Protected area management in Palestine follows the new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030) in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This grassroots, cross-disciplinary endeavour to protect this area serves as a model for other protections in a region with economic and political instability.

Diversity

The Palestinian environment suffered from abuse and neglect for decades. As a nascent state, Palestine aspired to protect and restore its environment, in line with international standards and conventions. Yet, many challenges remain, including a lack of data, the science–policy–practice gaps, and the lack of sovereignty. The management of protected areas (PAs) is particularly challenging under these circumstance. Two key protected areas in the northern West Bank (Wadi Qana and Wadi Al-Zarqa Al-Ulwi) were surveyed, with a focus on plant communities and dealing with threats. The two areas had similar Mediterranean flora with differences, including in rare plants. Both areas have important but different wetlands in their buffer zones. The data show that the protection of the two areas is important because of the differences noted, and both areas are valued as IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) protection. Such protection is possible by working with local communities and...

Birds are considered as good indicators of the degree of human disturbance to the various ecosystems. In this work, we present the birds of Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve and its environs, drawing upon a two-year field survey from October 2002 to September 2004. Two different sites were addressed for carrying out this study. Site I is almost hydric and represents a unique wetland ecosystem. Site II is almost dry except for some stormwater ponds occurring during the rainy season. A total of 118 avifaunistic species belonging to 38 families and 11 orders were determined and listed. Aquatic birds comprised 49 (41.5%) of the species counted, while terrestrial birds comprised 69 (58.5%) species. The Passeriformes was the biggest order and comprised 41 (34.7%) of the recorded species. Non-passerines comprised 77 species (65.3%), of which Charadriiformes formed the biggest order and comprised 27 species. Eighty five (72.0%) of the bird species were migratory while the others were resident. The House Sparrow was the most common bird species in Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve. The common species were the Cattle Egret, Chukar, Moorhen, Coot, Spur-winged Plover, Rock Dove, Laughing Dove, Barn Swallow, Yellow-vented Bulbul, White Wagtail, Palestine Sunbird and Hooded Crow. The major potential threats to avifauna included overpopulation , urbanization, residential and agricultural encroachment on the expense of natural areas, habitat destruction and fragmentation, hunting and poaching, intensive pesticide use and human disturbance at nest sites. The Israeli Occupation is still adversely affecting bird ecology in the area by uprooting and demolishing vast vegetated areas. The authors recommend improving cooperation of different parties to rehabilitate Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve and its environs and to enhance public awareness and to implement environmental laws and legislations to protect wildlife and to ensure sustainability of the system for both humans and biota.

Protected areas play a vital role in attracting tourists in a given geographical area; therefore, the network of protected areas within a given country should represent the various biogeographical regions and vegetation types. This research is considered the first study that aims to analyze the repersentativness of biogeographical regions and vegetation types and their relation to ecotourism at the current protected areas network of Jordan by using geographical information System and comparison Index (CI). Most geographical regions and vegetation types are not adequately represented within the established protected areas system, the majority of the protected areas in Jordan are too small and 62.5% of them under 30 km² while 37.5% over 200 km². GIS and CI analysis showed that protected areas are skewed toward Sudanian as a biogeographical region, leading to low representation of other biogeographical regions such as Saharo-Arabian region despite that this region occupies the biggest size in Jordan. The study reveals that the two vegetation types of Hammada and Sand Dunes vegetations have exceeded the 10% set by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) regarding the coverage percentage of each vegetation type in each country. Moreover, there are eleven vegetation types fail to meet the IUCN's recommendations, taking into account that despite having the lion-share among the vegetation types, they only cover less than 10% of total area. It's worth mentioning that the protected areas network system in Jordan is created for ecotourism rather than conservation purposes.

Sustainability

Protected areas (PA), especially biosphere reserves (BR), are considered effective instruments for nature conservation and rural development. However, their impact on rural communities constitutes the most controversial debate in conservation policy and practice. This study aims to reveal the perceptions of local communities towards conservation, the extent of the inclusion of local communities in the establishment and management of a BR and the impact of BRs on local livelihoods by exploring a case study while reflecting on major debates in the conservation and rural development paradigms. Mixed research methods focusing on qualitative methodology are used. By exploring a BR in Lebanon, this research highlights how the allocation and management of the BRs have not always reflected participatory, sustainable and community-based approaches. This study stresses the importance of the locals’ engagement in the whole conservation process. By putting people, their needs and perceptions at...

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