Biological Diversity Convention:
The Convention on Biological Diversity deals with the genetic differences of all types of plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as the ecosystems in which they live. During the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the door was opened for signature. Within a year of its date, the number of signatories to the agreement reached one hundred and sixty-eight, making it the most widespread Convention globally. Under this agreement.
the signatories pledge to achieve the three objectives of the agreement
1- Conservation of biodiversity 2- Sustainable use of biodiversity 3- Equitable partnership for the benefits of the exploitation of environmental resources The signatory parties to the Convention also undertake to prepare a strategy and a national action plan for biodiversity that translate the objectives of the Convention into operational procedures by the provisions of its articles (6) and (26) as well as implementing all the requirements of the agreement National efforts to conserve biodiversity and sustainable development: Yemen signed an agreement Biodiversity in 1992, during the holding of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in 1995 it was ratified by the Yemeni government. The signing of the agreement comes as an appreciation by the Yemeni government of the importance of biodiversity resources and as an integral part of the efforts to manage the country’s natural heritage. This legacy represents long-term benefits for the Yemeni people and is a basic necessity for sustainable national development. The signing of the agreement is also a declaration of steadfastness and a pledge from the Yemeni government to follow the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources and exercise its responsibilities within the framework of that approach. The signing of the agreement is also an expression of the government’s awareness and awareness that the lives of current and future generations depend on the abundance and protection of biological resources. The government’s interest in environmental issues and their safety is relatively recent, as this interest emerged with the establishment of the Environmental Protection Council in 1990 AD and its restructuring under the name of the General Authority for Environmental Protection under the misguidance of the Ministry of Water and Environment in 2001 AD. Successively the government worked to ratify several international conventions related to biodiversity, Like CCD.
What is more?
It also worked on drawing up and implementing several policies and action plans related to biodiversity and sustainable development, such as the national water strategy, watershed policy, national environmental protection, and national plan to combat desertification. The preparation of the strategy and the national action plan for biodiversity comes as a complement to the investment program for the environment and sustainable development for the years 2003-2008 prepared by the Public Authority for Environmental Protection and is complementary to the sectoral development plans currently being designed. The Global Environment Facility has contributed financial support to prepare the strategy. In turn, the United Nations Development Program (Sana’a) managed the grant in coordination with the Public Authority for Environmental Protection. Also, it provided technical support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Union provided continuous support in facilitating planning processes through specialized missions and giving advice on the work plan and institutional organization, and preparing references for the tasks of national and international working groups. In addition to assisting in the formulation and editing of the final version of the strategy. The Public Authority for Environmental Protection enlisted the assistance of many qualified local experts from various institutions concerned with biodiversity and from multiple disciplines such as plant and animal biology, marine environment, freshwater, social, economic, and legislative issues. In addition to biological agricultural diversity (plant and animal production and honey production), collect and evaluate the available information on a variety in Yemen. It has relied on the reports of the technical working groups as a scientific basis in formulating the strategy. The efforts of the technical working groups have served as a reference for the database and reports available to the Public Authority for Environmental Protection.
Initial goals and objectives for the desired activities
Although the priorities can be rearranged during the implementation of the strategy, it is essential to set initial goals and objectives for the desired activities and procedures to achieve the general purposes of the process. In this context, the Preparing a work program for each strategy’s objectives separately. The priorities of the goals of the proposed actions were identified in the short term (1-3 years), medium-term (4-8 years), and long time (more than eight years), and each work program is presented on a list and timetable. These activities can be applied. Also, many consultative activities were organized among the various stakeholders. It is important to promote awareness and public knowledge about biodiversity issues and support it to achieve consensus on the strategy’s contents. The General Authority for the Protection of the Environment is committed to the effective participation of all partners from the national authorities and the concerned agencies in fully implementing the strategy and submitting periodic reports to the public, the concerned government agencies, and international organizations. The environment which undertakes the following tasks: e. They are preparing annual reports on policies, activities, and plans in the context of implementing the strategy.
E. Coordinating the implementation of the national and international components of the strategy.
E. Proposing measures to stimulate the participation of non-governmental sectors in implementing the strategy. e Submitting periodic reports on the status of biodiversity. e Update the strategy after 5-7 years from implementation. It also requires the formation of non-permanent working groups to prepare and implement the various components of the strategy to develop biodiversity in Yemen: The Republic of Yemen is one of the most densely populated countries in the Arabian Peninsula, with an annual growth rate of 3.5%, and if the growth rate remains the same, the population will reach 37,844.000 people by 2026 AD. So unless the relationship between population, resources, environment, and development is realized at various levels of political decision-making, the situation is likely to remain the same concerning rapid population growth and unregulated population distribution. In addition, the environment is witnessing a qualitative deterioration in light of rapid economic growth. It has led to the emergence of environmental problems. It affected the economic growth gains. They exacerbated factors such as the extensive destruction of vegetation cover and coral reefs, the widespread of pesticide toxins, the degradation and erosion of agricultural lands, and the leakage of pollutants into water basins and activities.
Wrong tourism, the deterioration of the shura trees and wet areas, and the destruction of forests and vegetation cover urban expansion. Industrial pollution continued dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and unjust fishing methods are as well. The issue of biodiversity conservation has become the focus of environmental protection activities, with the declaration of several protected areas. In addition, despite growing awareness among those concerned with environmental affairs about the importance of biodiversity and the role of local lifestyles in the safety of ecosystems, the level of application, in reality, is still slow. Sustainable agriculture, afforestation, and sound fishing methods have spread in most governorates of the Republic.
Four inter-regions of international interest:
Based on the international assessment of the World Wildlife Fund for the year 2000 AD, Yemen has four inter-regions of international interest: (1) the Red Sea, (2) the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, (3) the Arab forest areas, and (4) Socotra. These inter-regions are considered among the most critical areas of biodiversity on an international level and should be protected from the risks of human activities. The environment of the Red Sea is considered a distinguished habitat for the domains of coral reefs, which makes it a regional center for endemic fish and invertebrates. It also contains unique flora and fauna and several sea turtles, endemic birds, and other rare species. Also, 17% of the fish are considered endemic fish, and 90% of the spotted fish and fish. Triplefin is an endemic fish. The Arabian Sea environment also includes highly productive habitats that reflect systems of biological diversity and settlement sites for algae communities. Coral reefs cover more than 75% of some areas, and seagrass provides essential habitats for the breeding and breeding of marine life, especially mollusks, and is home to several organisms. Marine is endemic to a wide range of invertebrates and algae, and distinctive types of fish.
Along with its islands, Socotra includes a unique biological structure and hosts many endemic neighborhoods characterized by broad and abundant biodiversity unparalleled in any Arab region. The Socotra islands constitute a vital habitat for several endemic reptiles, plants, and birds. It is also home to several rare plants, such as the patience trees and the blood tree of the two brothers, from which a red resin is extracted, and several types of endemic plants and some types of endemic animals and birds. The Yemeni mainland’s mountainous heights and forested lands are characterized by vast biodiversity and constitute suitable sites for resting migratory birds. The endemic and semi-endemic plant and animal habitats and birds that live in these mountainous heights include habitats for the Arabian caribou, the Arabian gazelle, the striped hyena, the lynx, and the Arabian leopard.
Biodiversity in the Yemeni environment:
The Republic of Yemen enjoys a unique richness and diversity of plant and animal habitats and beneficial microorganisms that perform useful vital functions. And ensuring a healthy environment for the population. The richness of biodiversity and vegetation density helped protect the soil from erosion. According to the International Resource Institute, ecosystems are “the production mechanisms of the universe” that provide food, water, materials for clothing, paper, and wood for construction (2000). Since the dawn of history, the Yemeni population has practiced the profession of hunting animals and fishing and excelled in the use of plant and animal products to meet its daily needs of food, clothing, construction, and other benefits that are still practiced today. Table (3) provides examples of a list of goods and services provided by four interface systems Available in Yemen. Natural areas offer supportive systems to economically sensitive ecosystems, such as wet areas, breeding areas for endemic and migratory birds, and forest areas of shura trees. They are essential for the reproduction and growth of much marine life, not to mention other economic uses. In addition, some habitats are considered genetic treasures for commercial crops. Since most species have not been identified either in Yemen or abroad, it can be asserted with the development of knowledge of the possibility of discovering new biological species that enhance the population’s well-being. Therefore, the solid and essential relationship between biodiversity conservation efforts and the discovery of new types of vital national resources emerges. Biodiversity can be assessed using many methods. It is easy to assign values to the essential resources available in the market, such as vegetables, firewood, medicine, fish, etc. Still, many functions cannot be easily valued in material terms, such as ecosystem services and earnings.
For example, it isn’t easy to make estimates of ecosystems and social gains. Likewise, it is challenging to make critical estimates of the products and benefits that benefit the many people who depend on the effects of ecosystems in their daily lives. Agricultural biodiversity is an essential source of food, fodder, livestock grazing, and a vital source of genetic diversity, etc. The pastures include broad types of plants, herbs, and weeds, which are used as essential fodder for livestock, sheep, and goats in the slopes and valleys. Some types of plants are considered crucial sources for producing medical and commercial drugs in medicine. Despite the poor documentation of medicinal plants in Yemen, it is worth noting that medicinal and aromatic plants play an essential role in the population’s lives as pharmaceutical drugs in folk medicine to treat diseases. They are also used as cosmetics, spices, dyes, or flavors. In a team of local experts in 1995 AD,
A list of 224 species is made.
Pastures, forests, and woodlands constitute 40% of the land area, in which more than 8 million livestock, sheep, and goats graze, while the rest of the site (57% of the country’s area) is mostly desert areas. Forest resources are widely used in the industrial and construction sectors. The most important items used as firewood, especially in rural areas, and wood used as building materials and other uses. The length of the coastline in Yemen is estimated at more than 2500 km, and it extends over three different coastal regions: the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. The Red Sea region constitutes about a third of the coastal line.
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region represent a unique marine and tropical system and mixture characterized by unique biodiversity and home to a large size. It is a crucial sea corridor linking the essential oceans of the world. For example, the quantities of crude oil transported through the Red Sea are estimated at 100 million tons annually. The region east of the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea is characterized by being rich in fish production due to the phenomenon of the continental shelf that provides food for fish. Therefore, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden regions were declared particular areas under the Seas Agreement.
Islands in the Yemeni seas
The number of islands in the Yemeni seas exceeds 183 islands and many marine rocky outcrops. It is characterized by the diversity of its climate and natural environments. More than 151 of them are located in the Red Sea region, the most important of which is Kamaran Island, the largest of these islands, and Mayon Island, located in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. These islands contain Many coral reefs and their habitats, although they differ in diversity. Socotra Island is considered the largest in the area (about 3625 km2). It is located in the Arabian Sea and is characterized by a unique and abundant diversity on the level of the Arabian Peninsula. The fish sector is considered one of the most promising sectors for sustainable development, as the Republic of Yemen possesses the best types of fish in the region. The fish stock is estimated at 850 thousand tons. It qualifies to catch between 340 to 450 thousand tons annually, compared to the current fishing quantity, which does not exceed 158 thousand tons, according to estimates in 2001. This production level does not exceed 40% annually of the production capacity.
Moreover, the contribution of this sector to the total domestic production is limited. It does not exceed 0.89% according to the fixed prices and 1.4% according to the current prices for the year 2001 AD. Despite this, fish is one of the most important exports of food commodities, with a total value of 70 million US dollars, according to estimates in 2001 AD. Fish is also of nutritional importance at the local level and contributes to providing food security as an important source of protein. It is expected that this sector will have an important role in the national economy in meeting the demand for food and reducing the food gap or exports that can supplement the state’s revenues from hard currency. However, agricultural land constitutes 2.2% of the total area (1,668,858 hectares). However, agriculture still plays a key role in the national economy and contributes about 22.98% of domestic production. It absorbs 53% of the total workforce, and three-quarters of the population depends on agriculture to provide for their food needs. Wrong agricultural practices, such as the individual crop production system, especially grains, or the repetitive two-production system that depends on mechanisms in rainy agricultural lands, led to the loss of soil fertility, which exacerbated the problem and facilitated the process of soil erosion or air erosion as a result of low fertility and thus crops deterioration. The use of marginal agricultural lands during
The scarce rainy seasons resulted in a decrease in the size of the agricultural crop and the neglect of these lands later, which led to their exposure to desertification. Such practices in the coastal hills and the Marib region led to air erosion and the accumulation of dunes, which contributed to the expansion of desertification at the expense of agricultural lands and infrastructure. Other areas have led to high rates of soil erosion along mountain slopes, land degradation, and desertification. In short, the vegetation cover is rapidly deteriorating due to desertification and drought, particularly for the following reasons: E. Wrong agricultural practices and cutting vegetation and trees for firewood, construction, and coal. , Overgrazing. E salinization of the soil and reduced fertility. Air erosion, soil erosion, and dune encroachment. e Urban sprawl and infrastructure around urban and rural areas. The threats to wildlife include e Degradation and destruction of natural habitats. E- Building roads – easy access to remote areas. Likewise, the quality and quantity of freshwater are exposed to risks due to several factors, including the excessive depletion of water sources, the deterioration of wetland environments, the overuse of pesticides, the misuse of fertilizers, and the lack of wastewater treatment high rates of industrial waste.
