We steer global efforts to conserve, restore and invest in our natural environment to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. We mobilize governments and partners to find nature-based solutions and to act for the benefit of people and the planet, for now and into the future. Through our programme, advocacy and policy work, we give nature a seat at the table.
Why are ecosystems important?
West Asia contains a highly contrasting range of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, ranging from Mediterranean forests, sandy and stony deserts, oases, savannas, plains, and rangelands, through to springs, lakes, mudflats, marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Such a diversity of ecosystems supports considerable biodiversity, which underpins a wide array of ecosystem services used by the people of the region.
Ecosystem services need to be managed in a sustainable manner in order to conserve major ecological services and restore natural resources while meeting the socioeconomic, political and cultural and needs of current and future generations.
What are the major threats to ecosystems in West Asia?
The West Asia region is likely to be one of the hardest hit by the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. Those impacts which are most significant for biodiversity include loss of coastal zones due to sea level rise, sea water temperature rise, droughts and desertification, increased water scarcity and ground water salinity, which will have detrimental effects on almost all aspects of life. Additionally, population growth, industrialization and urbanization are further eroding the region’s natural resource base and resulting in steep social and economic costs.
How are we working to support sound ecosystem management?
The objective of UNEP West Asia Office is to enable a world in which marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly managed through an integrated approach that enables them to maintain and restore biodiversity, long-term ecosystems functioning and the supply of ecosystem goods and services.
To address the causes of ecosystem degradation and to promote the safeguarding and restoration of ecosystems, UNEP and its partners will aim to:
- Deliver tools, best practice and support on cross-sector collaboration around ecosystem management.
- Strengthen partnerships to institutionalize the ecosystem approach across society.
- Integrate natural capital into measurements of progress on sustainable development and public and private economic decision-making
- Continue to support countries in meeting their obligations in landmark biodiversity conventions such the Convention on Biological Diversity specifically the implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and the Nagoya Protocol across all levels of society.
- Empower government, private sector and civil society to collaborate for more holistic decision making and align the delivery of development and business goals with the long-term functioning of ecosystems.
- Increase awareness and advocacy to foster integrated ecosystem management
- Advance intergovernmental collaboration to issues such as marine pollution, habitat conservation and management to mitigate human and climactic pressures on ecosystems
Notable projects:
Initial Steps for the Establishment of the National Protected Areas Network in Iraq
The primary Goal of the project is biodiversity conservation and sustainable use in Iraq and its objective is to develop and start implementing the plan for the establishment of a national Network of Protected Areas.
The project will address barriers and constraints to effective implementation of the national network of protected areas and also it will aim at establishing two protected areas as pilot sites with a focus on provision of essential infrastructure and support to the selected Protected Area Management Authorities, including stakeholder consultations and active involvement the local communities.
Marine Protected Area project
The objective of this project is to strengthen conservation of biodiversity in critical marine habitats throughout the ROPME Sea Area and facilitate information exchange among marine protected areas (MPA) experts and managers.
Gulf Green Initiative
Studies of coastal dredging and reclamation actions, and their impacts on the marine and coastal environment on the coast of Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.
Enhancing Climate Resilience of the Water Sector in Bahrain
The main objective of the Project is to address the climate change impact of substantial reductions in the Kingdom of Bahrain’s freshwater reserves by effecting a transformational change in how national water demand and freshwater reserves are managed under climate change conditions and to Increase the resilience of Bahrain’s water sector under future climate scenarios by creating an enabling environment for climate-resilient water demand management.
Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) ROPME Sea Area
The GCRMN has been working towards the production of the latest global report on the “Status of the World’s Coral Reefs” which shall serve as a new edition to the last published report in 2008 and shall reflect the progress of efforts made to manage reef resources. With GCRMN, UNEP is supporting in filling the gaps in knowledge through bringing together stakeholders from across the RSA region which will enable the production of a regional chapter which shall provide a glimpse as to the current status and trends of coral reefs the RSA region and contribute to the global GCRMN report.
