The Secretary-General of the National Commission for Wildlife
Conservation and Development (NCWCD) based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
writes of his organisation’s efforts to conserve Arabian wildlife.
The location of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the intersection
of three biogeographic 
regions gives its vast landscape a striking diversity of habitats,
supporting a rich assemblage of animals and plants. In order to
oversee the conservation and development of this rich and varied
natural heritage the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation
and Development (NCWCD) was established in 1986.
The focus of the Commission’s mandate is to establish a national
network of protected areas and to seek the restoration of native
endangered species by a variety of methods, including captive
breeding. The Commission also conducts scientific research, promotes
environmental awareness, and is charged with the responsibility
of developing national policies on conservation and sustainable
development of natural resources.
In the seven years since its formation the Commission has achieved
a great deal but there is still much that remains to be done.
A network of protected areas, covering the major centres of biological
diversity and unique landscape features, has been established
and the expansion of this programme foresees the creation of 103
protected areas. These have been proposed following an extensive
study carried out by NCWCD members in co-operation with IUCN,
and the conservation plan has drawn heavily upon the traditional
Arabian conservation system known as Hima.
The Commission’s research centres have already made their mark
in captive breeding, reintroduction, and related research. The
National Wildlife Research Centre (NWRC) at Taif has resulted
in the reintroduction to wild conditions of the Arabian oryx in
Saudi Arabia. Other native endangered species such as houbara
bustard, onager and Nubian ibex are also being successfully captive
bred at the NWRC. The King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre (KKWRC)
at Thumamah is another component institution engaged in captive
breeding, focusing on native gazelles. Furthermore, a new centre
for gazelles, the Amir Mohammed Al-Sudeiri Gazelle Research Centre
at Al Qassim is beginning to make its own valuable contribution
to the captive breeding programme.
There has also been considerable progress with ecological work.
Extensive surveys have been carried out and continue to be undertaken,
with a view to filling gaps in the documented record of the Kingdom’s
flora and fauna. In addition, special studies on particular habitats
and species are linked in to various conservation programmes.
Confidence gained from the success of its Arabian oryx reintroduction
programme has encouraged an expansion of reintroduction efforts
by the NCWCD. Rheem and idmi are being reintroduced into protected
areas situated within their former natural range, and studies
are also underway for enhancement of houbara populations by releases
from captive bred stock.
The oil-spill created during the recent Gulf conflict has been
a test for the NCWCD’s effectiveness. Participating in the emergency
response programme, the NCWCD was instrumental in establishing
a Wildlife Rescue Centre whose role was to save as many oiled
birds, turtles and other animals as possible. Apart from the immediate
task of cleaning oiled creatures and nursing them back to their
full strength, so they could be released into the wild, the NCWCD
team also worked on saving key habitats or restoring those that
had already been heavily oiled. Amidst the devastation and despair
engendered by the massive oil-slick, there have been moments of
great joy and a sense of achievement. I think, for example, of
Karan Island where, but for the conservation effort co-ordinated
by the NCWCD, hundreds of green turtles would have died and many
terns would have been struck down in their breeding season. Our
biologists are continuing to work on problems created by the war’s
heavy toll of pollution and I am pleased to report that there
are some good signs of habitat recovery.
Environmental awareness programmes have formed a key element of
our conservation policy. We are firmly convinced that informed
public support is the backbone of conservation in the Kingdom
and the strong interest in the Visitor’s Centre for Environmental
Awareness provides an index of the growing public awareness on
environmental matters.
Conservation is not just a national issue and we are acutely aware
of our responsibilities, both with regard to the Arabian region,
and in the wider international sphere. The NCWCD played an active
role in the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development
(UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and continues to take
an active part in the international arena. As the global crisis
resulting from resource depletion deepens, humanity has no alternative
but to reconcile the objective of human welfare with the imperative
of protecting the resource base. The Arabian historical experience
is rich in models of such reconciliation and the challenge before
us is to creatively apply the traditional wisdom in the new socio-ecological
milieu. NCWCD seeks to play a central role in facing this challenge.