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Unprecedented bid to save plants of North Africa and the Middle East13/06/2011 11:21:43More than 200 significant areas for wild plants June 2011: An international conservation project has brought together botanists and scientists from Middle East and North Africa in an unprecedented bid to secure the future of the region's wildlife. A new report shows that there are more than 200 internationally significant areas for wild plants in the region, rivalling those found elsewhere in Europe and Asia for species richness, and supporting an extraordinary range of wildlife. In many of these countries, these species-rich landscapes also provide vital resources for local livelihoods. More than 200 Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are listed in the report for the first time, including 33 in Syria, 20 in Lebanon,20 in Egypt, 21 in Algeria, 13 in Tunisia and five in Libya. Teams from 11 countries around the south and east Mediterranean were involved in the partnership project, meeting at workshops to discuss results and work together to carry out a rapid assessment of wild plants and wildlife-rich areas across the region. Seventy-five per cent of the 207 IPAs contain locally endemic species. Mega endemic sites' (containing more than 20 species restricted to small geographical areas) were identified in Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria and Libya, meaning that they are extraordinarily rich in their diversity of wild flowers and other plants. The report is the result of unprecedented cooperation between botanists and scientists from participating countries. The data collated fills gaps in the knowledge available about the Mediterranean's important areas for wild plants and their habitats including forests, and can serve as a tool for governments and regional conventions to focus conservation work on the priority areas for conservation.
Many of these countries are in the midst of political instability and conflict, but in the long-term natural resources and wildlife areas will continue to be vital for the health, livelihoods and general wellbeing of local people.
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