Latest news with #GreenListof
The Star
2 days ago
- General
- The Star
Pin Supu forest reserve is Malaysia's first terrestrial site on prestigious conservation list
KOTA KINABALU: The Pin Supu Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan, Sabah, is the first terrestrial site in Malaysia to be included into the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This listing recognises excellence in conservation and protected area management, marking a significant achievement for Pin Supu. Sabah chief conservator of forests Datuk Frederick Kugan said the certification, which was issued in May and valid for a period of five years, places Pin Supu Forest Reserve as among the world's best-managed and most effectively governed protected areas. 'More importantly, this reserve is jointly managed by the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) in collaboration with Kopel Berhad, a community-based cooperative in Kinabatangan,' he added. He said Pin Supu is a Class VI Virgin Forest Reserve, encompassing 4,620 hectares, surrounded by five villages to assist in conservation projects. A 10-year joint forest management agreement (2016-2026) was established between the Sabah government through the SFD and Kopel Berhad. Kugan said this partnership has brought positive outcomes, including nature-based tourism development that benefit local communities and promote sustainable forest management within the Kinabatangan area. He said the journey towards Green List certification began with the formal application in 2021. 'Over the course of four years, the site underwent a rigorous multi-phase process (application phase and candidate phase) to complete the 50 indicators required for the certification. 'This included comprehensive self-assessments, evidence submission through the Compass platform, independent expert evaluations by the expert assessment group for the Green List (EAGL), and a final review and verification by an independent reviewer,' said Kugan. The key milestone was the EAGL site visit, followed by the final reviewer verification in December 2024, he added. He reiterated that managing Pin Supu with the involvement of surrounding communities has given numerous positive impacts – environmental, social and economic benefits, including biodiversity conservation, local empowerment, and income growth. 'This shows the success of joint efforts in promoting environmental sustainability. This IUCN recognition is a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of the Sabah Forestry Department and local community in particular Kopel Berhad,' Kugan said. Earlier in 2022, the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (Simca), also in Sabah, was recognised as the country's first marine IUCN Green Listed Area.
Muscat Daily
19-04-2025
- General
- Muscat Daily
Oman moves towards global recognition of protected areas
Muscat – In cooperation with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Environment Authority hosted a two-day workshop in Muscat last week to introduce a programme called 'Green List of Protected Areas'. The initiative aims to enhance management of nature reserves in Oman by aligning these with internationally recognised standards of excellence. The IUCN Green List is a global certification system that assesses performance of protected areas against 17 criteria and 50 indicators covering governance, planning, management and conservation outcomes. The workshop introduced mechanisms required for nomination, evaluation and listing of Omani nature reserves under this global programme. Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Amri, Chairman of Environment Authority (EA), said the workshop reflects the sultanate's commitment to biodiversity protection and sustainable development. He described the Green List initiative as a culmination of ongoing efforts to improve protected area management and align practices with international benchmarks. 'This step supports the national goal of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of our nature reserves,' said Amri. 'It promotes global recognition, improves administrative performance and ensures community engagement in environmental management.' Sulaiman bin Nasser al Akhzami, Director General of Nature Conservation at EA, highlighted the sultanate's remarkable biodiversity, which includes more than 15,000 species of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna, many rare or endemic. Oman currently has 31 declared nature reserves, representing a range of ecosystems including coasts, deserts, mountains, plains and valleys. Akhzami noted that nomination files for several protected areas have already been submitted for consideration in the IUCN Green List. These include the Al Saleel Nature Reserve, which has passed the first stage of the global evaluation, Arabian Oryx Reserve and the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve. The workshop explored progress on including these sites in the Green List by compiling the required documentation and engaging with key stakeholders. It also outlined criteria and stages necessary for achieving IUCN certification, which includes demonstrating effective governance, community involvement and measurable biodiversity outcomes. 'This ambitious step underscores Oman's determination to elevate the management standards of its protected areas and boost their international profile,' Akhzami added.
Observer
15-04-2025
- General
- Observer
Campaign begins on Oman joining the 'Green List of Protected Areas'
Muscat: A workshop on the 'Green List of Protected Areas' began in Muscat today, which is organized by the Environment Authority (EA) in cooperation with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The process for joining the Green List is based on three stages. The first is the initial application stage, during which the reserve is evaluated based on several basic indicators. The second is the nomination stage, during which the reserve works to meet all required criteria. This includes a field evaluation by independent international experts. The final stage is the accreditation stage, during which the reserve is granted an official certificate from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and is officially included on the Green List. The seminar aims to introduce standards of excellence in the management of nature reserves, through the application of the internationally recognized "Green List" system, which evaluates the performance of nature reserves around the world through 17 standards and 50 indicators covering the areas of governance, planning, management, and environmental conservation outcomes. Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al Amri, chairman of the Environment Authority, said that this step towards registering a number of nature reserves in the Sultanate of Oman on the International Green List is the culmination of the efforts of the Authority and its partners to enhance the efficiency of nature reserve management. He said emphasized Oman's commitment to protecting biodiversity following international standards, supporting sustainable development goals, enhancing the effectiveness of protected area management and aligning it with global best practices, engaging the local community in environmental management processes, increasing the number of effectively managed protected areas, achieving international recognition of protected areas, and improving administrative performance. Eng. Sulaiman bin Nasser al Akhzami, Director General of Nature Conservation at EA, said that the Sultanate of Oman boasts a unique biodiversity, hosting more than 15,000 species of wild and marine plants and animals, including rare and endemic species of regional and global importance. He stressed that the Sultanate of Oman has paid great attention to protecting its rich and diverse natural resources, by allocating protected areas, as the number of officially declared natural reserves in the Sultanate of Oman are 31 covering various environments and ecosystems such as coasts, deserts, mountains, plains and wadis. He pointed out that the Environment Agency has submitted nomination files for a number of nature reserves for inclusion on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "Green List," which is one of the most prominent international initiatives concerned with measuring the effectiveness of protected area management, including governance, community participation, and achieving tangible results in biodiversity conservation. He stressed that this ambitious step by the Environment Authority confirms the Sultanate of Oman's efforts to enhance the quality of environmental management in Oman's protected areas and raise their standing regionally and internationally. Engineer Natalia Boulad, Director of the Protected Areas, World Heritage and Biodiversity Programme at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), noted that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) places great importance on the work of its partners and members in the West Asia region to achieve the Union's mission of achieving a just world that values and protects nature. She said that the Union encourages building partnerships with local and international bodies and organizations to exchange expertise and best practices, and to work together to ensure the application of the highest standards in the field of nature conservation and the sustainability of natural resources. She added that working to adopt the Green List standard in protected areas in the Sultanate of Oman and seeking to include these sites on the list is an ambitious goal that we hope to see shortly, to ensure the quality and effectiveness of conservation efforts and achieve tangible results in protecting biodiversity in Oman. The session will include visual presentations and discussion sessions focusing on the mechanisms for preparing nomination files for nature reserves from various countries around the world to be announced as members of the Green List. It will also include the exchange of experiences between countries, as well as exploring opportunities to improve environmental performance in reserves in the Sultanate of Oman and enhance the role of local communities in protecting natural resources. The episode introduces the mechanism for incorporating three nature reserves from the Sultanate of Oman into the International Green List by collecting the required data and submitting it to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These are: Al Saleel Nature Reserve, which has passed the first stages of global assessment, the Arabian Oryx Reserve, and the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve.
Jordan News
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
Announcement of Aqaba Marine Reserve Joining the Green List of Protected Areas - Jordan News
The Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Naif Hamidi Al-Fayez, announced the inclusion of the Aqaba Marine Reserve in the Green List of Protected Areas, during an official ceremony held in Aqaba. The event was attended by Minister of Environment Dr. Ma'awiya Ridaideh and representatives from member countries, and organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – West Asia office. اضافة اعلان Al-Fayez explained that the Green List of Protected Areas is the first global standard recognized for best practices in protected areas. He praised Jordan's leading role in the establishment and effective management of protected areas. He affirmed that this achievement reflects the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, issued in 2020 to establish the Aqaba Marine Reserve and include it in the national network of protected areas in Jordan. Additionally, the nomination files for the reserve were prepared for inclusion on the Green List by the IUCN and UNESCO's World Heritage sites. Al-Fayez noted that the award of this international recognition to the Aqaba Marine Reserve acknowledges the excellence of the marine environmental management and protection programs, reflecting the authority's efforts in supporting the reserve's programs and providing the necessary resources for this success. He also emphasized the richness and diversity of natural habitats in Jordan, with the inclusion of the Aqaba Marine Reserve in the Green List being an important step towards enhancing biodiversity. On his part, Minister of Environment Dr. Ma'awiya Ridaideh highlighted that since its establishment, the ministry has worked in cooperation with national and international organizations to adopt a series of measures to protect biodiversity. This includes creating the national network of protected areas, which includes 11 reserves and accounts for about 5.4% of the country's area. Ridaideh added that the ministry is currently preparing nomination files for three more reserves to join the Green List and is strengthening partnerships with civil society organizations to support the concept of areas with special protection. Several protected areas in the region that joined the Green List after meeting 17 criteria were also honored, including the Oryx Reserve, Shouf Biosphere Reserve, King Salman Reserve, King Abdulaziz Reserve in Saudi Arabia, and Sir Bani Yas Island Reserve in the UAE, alongside the Aqaba Marine Reserve. It is worth noting that the inclusion of Ajloun and Azraq Reserves in the Green List was announced during the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2018. (Petra)
