Fujairah Environment Authority and Emirates Nature Society celebrate 20 years of partnership

Fujairah, 24 March / WAM / The Fujairah Environment Authority and the Emirates Nature Society celebrated 20 years of partnership and fruitful work between them in the field of preserving nature and the rich biodiversity of the Emirate of Fujairah, in the presence of employees of both entities and their families, coinciding with the Year of the Family.

The ceremony was held in the Wadi Wurayah National Reserve, which is considered one of the most important and prominent aspects of cooperation between the two sides since its establishment as a nature reserve, and included many recreational and awareness-raising activities about the rich biological diversity that abounds in the Emirate of Fujairah, which constituted the first impetus for the launch of the distinguished partnership between the Emirates Nature-WWF and the Fujairah government 20 years ago.

The employees’ family members and their children participated in the celebration by planting a number of local trees in Al Wurayah, as part of joint projects to protect and preserve biodiversity, thus making their mark in sustainable development.

Her Excellency Asila Abdullah Al Mualla, Director of the Fujairah Environment Authority, confirmed that the partnership between the government and private sectors succeeded in achieving concerted efforts and integration of joint teamwork by adopting the best international practices, thus achieving the environmental balance between man and nature, which resulted in the reserve being designated as a Ramsar site for wet areas and its inclusion on the list of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in 2018 as a living model of sustainable coexistence between daily human requirements and nature’s right to protection.

The partnership also resulted in the inclusion of Wadi Wurayah on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2021, where it is now among the sites nominated for final assessment and official listing.

For her part, Mrs. Laila Mustafa Abdul Latif, Director General of the Emirates Nature Society, said that there is a long-term strategic partnership linking the Society with the Fujairah Environment Authority to enhance nature conservation efforts and protect biodiversity, extending to more than two decades of fruitful cooperation.

She added that the Wadi Wurayah Reserve is considered a successful model of cooperation that brings together government agencies, non-profit organizations and civil society to preserve natural ecosystems and manage them sustainably, and that one of the most important features of this cooperation is that it is always keen to actively involve local communities, which reflects the importance of a comprehensive community participation approach to achieve a lasting impact.

She stated that the Society and the Authority have worked together over a long period to protect and manage this unique natural landscape through long-term monitoring programs based on scientific foundations, in addition to citizen science activities, which also contribute to raising awareness of the exceptional biodiversity that abounds in the mountain ecosystems in the Emirates, and the importance of joint collective action to preserve it, pointing in this context to the Water Research and Learning Program in Wadi Wurayah, which is a pioneering center in the Middle East that has worked for five years with the aim of protecting and managing freshwater resources and systems, by monitoring the quality Water, preserving endangered species, and promoting environmental sustainability in the first mountain reserve in the UAE.

She said 60 surveys were conducted in 2025 alone; It included wildlife, fresh water, plants and the rehabilitation of local trees, with the support of 654 volunteers within the “Leaders of Change” program of the Emirates Nature Society, while ultrasound surveys confirmed the presence of up to ten species of bats, strengthening the reserve’s status as a rare center for biodiversity.

The Fujairah Environment Authority and the Emirates Nature Society implemented several joint initiatives, including the historic Al-Bathna Trail project, which was completed with the participation of more than five federal, local and private entities over a length of 2.5 kilometers.

This natural trail attracts visitors to this area rich in biodiversity. Where they can connect with nature and deepen their understanding of the importance of protecting its ecosystems and wildlife. At the same time, the project creates new economic opportunities that support nature conservation efforts and enhance the resilience of local communities through sustainable sources of income.

Scientific research conducted along the trail also documented more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, with the participation of more than 500 volunteers from the Change Leaders Programme, working side by side with experts and specialists.

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