I should like to send my best wishes on the occasion of the launch of Arabian Wildlife magazine. In view of the greatly increased awareness of environmental issues thoughout our planet, and particularly within the region covered by the magazine, I am confident that this publication will make a valuable contribution in communicating the work of so many people and organisations whose efforts have been directed at studying, nurturing and protecting Arabia's wildlife. As you will be aware, Bahrain has for many years played an active role in these efforts to protect Arabia's natural heritage. We have been fortunate to have been guided in this sphere by H.H. the Amir of Bahrain, Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa and indeed by the Prime Minister, H.H. Shaikh Khalifa bin Sulman Al Khalifa and the Crown Prince and Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Their combined strong personal interest in wildlife has meant that projects such as Al Areen Wildlife Park; the establishment of an effective Environmental Protection Agency; and the creation of Bahrain National Museum have been such a success. We have, as you will be aware, played an active role in the re-establishment of the Arabian oryx which, we are pleased to note, is now once more roaming freely in the Arabian deserts. Bahrain has also been active in protecting important populations of gazelles as well as many other species. It has long been clear to us that we have a direct responsibility to take care of our wildlife since modern development has reached a stage where it also has the ability to crush and destroy the natural world. We are firmly committed to achieving a stable balance in which we can live in harmony with nature and maintain sustainable natural resources.

An essential element in our programme for nature conservation is a dynamic public awareness campaign. In my capacity as Minister of Information I have had the pleasure to support a number of projects connected with Bahrain's fascinating wildlife, including the publication of books such as Wildlife of Bahrain; Flowers of Bahrain and most recently a fine new book on Bahrain's birdlife. I was impressed to learn that over 290 species of birds either breed on, or visit Bahrain during their migrations. It is especially pleasing to note that the range of species found here has actually increased in recent years, due we believe to our extensive irrigation and planting programmes which have created new habitats for wildlife.

I am also pleased to report that our most recent project in this field was recently opened to the public. It comprises a new Natural History Hall at Bahrain National Museum and is an impressive presentation of Bahrain's wildlife. I take this opportunity to draw your reader's attention to it. Once again, I wish Arabian Wildlife Magazine every success in the future.

From: BirdLife International.
Mike Evans, UK

Dear Sir,

I hope that you will permit me, through the pages of Arabian Wildlife, to inform your readers of a new project concerned with conservation of birdlife.

As many readers will already be aware, ornithologically, the Middle East is rich. Its diversity of environment - deserts, wetlands and mountains in particular - provide habitats for 23 globally threatened bird species and 62 bird species which are virtually restricted to the Middle East. Some of the largest and/or most diverse wetland, steppe, desert and marine ecosystems in the world are found within the Middle East, upon which millions of birds depend to provide breeding, stop-over or wintering sites. These sites' very high value to birds reflect their overall ecological importance.

In recent years several inventories and directories of the most important sites for wildlife have been published as major tools for implementing conservation action. For example, wetland inventories and protected area directories exist for most regions of the world. The need to give decision makers up-to-date information on the most critical areas for conserving birds and habitats in the Middle East is now urgent, given the rapid increases in human population, agricultural intensification and industrialisation, heralding increased levels of grazing, wetland drainage and pollution, woodland clearance and coastal land-claim.

To answer these needs, the Important Bird Areas in the Middle East project has been launched and is being co-ordinated by BirdLife International, as a joint venture with the Ornithological Society of the Middle East, in close collaboration with relevant national agencies and the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau, with funding from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (U.K.). The project seeks to produce the first comprehensive directory of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the Middle East. Emphasis is being given to engaging maximum participation by governmental and non-governmental conservation bodies and academic institutions in the region. The main objectives of the project are as follows:

(1) to produce a directory and database of sites of international and regional importance for birds, providing key information for the conservation of the region's avifauna and habitats, in an objective manner;

(2) to inform decision makers and planners at all levels of the existence and importance of these vital sites;

(3) to encourage development/implementation of national conservation strategies and in particular to promote the development of national protected area programmes;

(4) to promote the implementation of, and active participation in, global and regional agreements such as the Ramsar Convention;

(5) to help to identify future priorities for action in bird conservation and research in the Middle East, in terms of important sites, species, habitats and threats.

The Middle East IBA project will culminate at the end of 1993 in the publication of a "Directory of Important Bird Areas in the Middle East" in Arabic and English languages. This will consist of a series of national inventories, each with a general introduction to bird conservation in the country concerned, a country map showing the location of Important Bird Areas, and a series of detailed site accounts. Information will be gathered from all available sources, e.g. governmental and non-governmental environmental organisations, individuals, scientists, protected areas' staff, natural history museums, research institutions, universities, and cartographic centres. In some countries, the best way to achieve this might be through the appointment of national co-ordinators or "IBA Working Groups". An IBA data-sheet has been produced to facilitate the compilation of data, and is being distributed to potential contributors throughout the region. All proposed Important Bird Areas will be considered, and all their values taken into account. The criteria used in the selection of sites for inclusion in the Directory have been developed with help from Middle Eastern wildlife conservation organisations and individual experts.

All organisations and individuals with an interest in bird conservation in the Middle East are invited to participate in the project and are kindly requested to write to me, as the Project Co-ordinator. Finally, may I wish this new magazine great success, it will, I believe, serve a very valuable function in linking people who share an common interest in wildlife, throughout Arabia and beyond.
Mike Evans, Co-ordinator, IBAs in the Middle East, BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ONA, UK. Telephone (44) 223 277318; fax (44) 223 277200; E-mail:[email protected].