Riyadh hosts forum on wildlife restoration issues

Rehabilitating involves reintroducing wildlife, wild creatures, and natural processes in order to preserve and restore biodiversity. This is reported by Arab News.

Ahmad Al-Bugh, general manager of terrestrial habitat conservation at the National Center for Wildlife, pointed out that Saudi Arabia is not limited to reintroducing wildlife to protected areas during a panel discussion on "Rehabilitation, Restoration, and Reintroduction" at the inaugural Hima protected areas forum, which was held in Riyadh from April 21 to 24. Within the boundaries of their geographic range, specialists work to return locally endangered species to their natural habitats across the Kingdom.

The head of NEOM Nature Reserve, Paul Marshall, described some of the measures NEOM is taking to guarantee the programme's success and added that greening has numerous advantages for our arid ecosystems, the primary one being ecological advantages. Marshall does point out that there are certain ecological concerns associated with greening, such as the potential for a mismatch between reintroduced and native species.

Robert Muir, technical adviser for the operationalization of protected areas at the National Center for Wildlife, provided advice on how to ensure that wildlife recovery efforts are successful. He listed animal protection as one of them, along with ensuring that the locations to which wildlife is relocated are adequately safeguarded. Enough attention needs to be paid to the dangers that are causing habitat and wildlife deterioration, as well as the threats themselves.

Regarding the Kingdom's endeavours, Marshall emphasised Saudi Arabia's progressive stance. According to him, it is setting the standard for social and economic change. Its dedication to protecting the environment is equally remarkable and serves as a role model for upcoming generations. In order to ensure sustainable development, the kingdom is enhancing its environmental preservation initiatives throughout all of its reserves.

The Hima Forum was held by the National Center for Wildlife to talk about Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect wildlife and natural areas. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, the minister of environment, water, and agriculture and chairman of the board of the center, officially launched it on Sunday.

In an effort to save the environment for future generations, the National Center has focused on wildlife and marine habitats since it opened in 2019.

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