Building Advocacy and Developing

a Management Plan for the “High

Mountains of Ibb Protected Areas”

Introduction:

These two years CEPF Project is implemented by the Foundation of

Endangered Wildlife in the green heart of Yemen, Ibb governorate, which

contains the biggest priority key biodiversity area (pKBA) in one

administration unit in Arabia. Aiming of building awareness and better

understanding of all the KBAs and IBAs in Ibb and also the project aimed to

develop a Management Plan zooning strategy for some of the those KBAs.

Achievements:

In addition to the continues ecosystem and species inventories and

more than 60 meeting/presentation with locals & local authorities,

4 workshops, showing the results in two national and international

conferences, developing outreach and scientific publications,

those could be presented:

(1) Producing a land cover land use (LCLU) map for Ibb

governorate and moving forward in evaluation of the map

on reality.

(2) Developing zooning and management plan for the high

priority KBAs, which needs urgent national and

international recognitions to be

announced as Natural Reserves.

Remarks:

Increasing the conflict in Yemen in the last

months, the consequent war and human crises

in the project area slowing the project

performance tremendously.

Project team:

1) Dr. Mohammed Al-Duais, Project leader

2) Mr. Muard Alawadhi, Project coordinator

3) Mr. Adel Al-Malhani, Field work officer

4) Mr. Mohammed Al-Fadli, Volunteers coordinator

Transition zone

Fore st Shrub la nd Pla nta tion othe rs

Ibb Governorate Core Zone

Buffer Zone Transition Zone

AgnatHabaab Melkan

DamrarAddash

Alkufl

Senfain

Makaned

Al Udain

Di Sa'deAl SawafiAl Nagadi

Al Dhobat

Al Kaflah

Al Aredhah

Al Ga'aferah

Dar Al Sho'ub

Wadi Alnakhlah

Bani AbdulsalamAl Qaukash Castle

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX,Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS UserCommunity

Ibb

Al-Ka fla Propos e d Prote cte d Are a (APPA)

Core zone Buffe r zone Tra ns ition zone Com m on us e d zone 0 1 km ± Proje ction UTMZone 38P

Al-Ka fla Propos e d Prote cte d Are a (APPA) isloca te d 20 km to the we s t of Ib b city, e a s ilya cce s s ib le from Al-Uda in a nd Ha zm Al-Uda inroa d. APPA is e xte nde d b e twe e n twoa dm inistra tion unite s : Al-Uda in a nd Ha zmAl-Uda in. The tota l a re a APPA is 81 s q km .This re s e rve ha s m a ny distinctive va lue sincluding a g re a t b iodive rs ity a nd ha b ita ts uita b ility for fla g s hip s pe cie s of e nde m icpla nts & b irds . It conta ins im pre s s ive cle fte cosys te m a nd it ha rb ors the long e s t winte rsta nding m e a dows a s it is fros t fre e withhig h s oil m oisture . APPA is a ls o a n im porta ntcultura l he rita g e s ite .

APPA s hould b e divide d into thre e zone s ofdiffe re ntia te d prote ction s ta tus :The CO RE ZO NE conta ins ve ry distinctivede ns e s hrub s a nd ope n m e a dows cove rings lope s , cle fts a nd rock outcrops . Fla nking ava lle y, it conta ins the ca s tle a nd the a ncie ntwa te r s tora g e s .The BUFFER ZO NE is com pa ra b le , b ut ha ss m a ll villa g e s a nd a g riculture te rra ce s .The TRANSITIO N ZO NE is m ore dom ina te db y a g riculture tha n na tura l a re a s with la rg e rvilla g e s .Be s ide s the prote ction zone s , a CO MMO NUSED ZO NE inte g ra te s the city of Al Uda yna nd the pa ve d roa d tha t le a ds into the APPA.

The fig ure s in the rig htre pre s e nt the sta tistica la na lys is of the la ndus edistrib ution b a s e d ons a te llite im a g e s (Pfe ife r e ta l. 2015). It re ve a ls , tha tthe propos e d prote ctionzone s conta in a n e xtra -ordina ry a m ount of fore sts(8.3 – 14 %) com pa re d totha t of the e ntire Ib bGove rnora te (1.2 %). W hileAPPA would cove r only 4.6% of the tota l a re a , itwould com pris e 12.7 % ofa ll the fore s ts in Ib b .

56.0 s q km

14.9 s q km

10.1 s q km

Area of protection zones

Dr. Mohammed AL-DuaisExecutive director of FEW

P.O. Box 3069Sana'a, Republic of Yemen

mohammed@yemenileopard.org

Ibb Governorate Core zone

Buffer zone Transition zone

Ibb

Ibb High Mountains Proposed Protected Area (IHMPPA)

Dr. Mohammed AL-Duais Executive director of FEW

P.O. Box 3069 Sana'a, Republic of Yemen

mohammed@yemenileopard.org

609.8 km²

Transition zone

Forest Shrubland Plantation others

Ibb Governorate Core Zone

Buffer Zone Transition Zone

IHMPPA is adjoined to the eastern and northeastern periphery of Ibb City and easily accessible from Bani Alhareth, Baddan, Asabrah and Qatabah-Dale’e roads. IHMPPA extends across six administrative units with a total area of 833 sq km, about 16 % of Ibb gov. area. It will be the highest reserve in Arabia/West Asia and contains important forest remnants in the frost zone. Flagship species of endemic plants & birds have been ……

IHMPPA should be divided into three zones of differentiated protection status: Three distinctive fragments of CORE ZONES are of least disturbance and highest conservation priority. They contain distinctive tree species, dense shrubs and meadows penetrating into extensive clefts and rocky outcrops. These zones also contain all dense forest remnants, along with many ancient buildings and water management systems. The BUFFER ZONE is of moderate to heavy disturbance and without forests. Instead it is made up of villages, sporadic shrubs and trees, agricultural terraces and some roads. The TRANSITION ZONE is of lower altitude, more protected zones

The graph in the right box shows a statistical analysis on the spatial distribution of landuse based on satellite images (Pfeifer et al. 2016). It reveals that the proposed buffer zones reflect the typical landuse pattern of the region. That is domination of shrubland, which indicates extensive use particularly on steep areas. The high proportion of plantations (44 %) illustrates the century long tradition of terrace cultivation as an exceptional adaption to the challenges of survival in a high mountain region.

recorded in high numbers. While IHMPPA contains Sumarah (IBA), this importance extends throughout the PPA. The cleft/cave ecosystems are very extensive. Along with the rocky outcrops, the elevations and meadows give IHMPPA its attractiveness. IHMPPA is also rich in cultural heritage sites.

Area of protection zones

177.8 km²

44.9 km²

exploited, and dominated by agriculture and larger villages. Besides the protected zones, the COMMON USED ZONE integrates Ibb City and the big villages and markets along the paved roads that lead into IHMPPA. The importance of the IHMPPA as part of a broader catchment area has been considered in the current zonation.

Dhalem Proposed Protected Area (DPPA) Dr. Mohammed AL-Duais

Executive director of FEW P.O. Box 3069

Sana'a, Republic of Yemen mohammed@yemenileopard.org

Ibb

259.2 km²

Transition zone

Forest Shrubland Plantation others

Ibb Governorate Core Zone

Buffer Zone Transition Zone

Ibb Governorate

Buffer zone

Core zone

Transition zone

Dhalem Proposed Protected Area (DPPA) is located 30 km south of Ibb city, easily accessible from Ibb-Taiz road, the first branch left before Al-Qa’idah city. DPPA is a frost-free area and extends in two administration units: Assayyani and Al-Sabrah. The total area is 346 km², about 6.5 % of Ibb governorate. DPPA is very distinctive compared to its degraded surrounding. It contains important shrub vegetation dominated by Dodonaea viscosa. Flagship

DPPA should be divided into three zones of differentiated protection status: a Core Zone contains very distinctive dense shrubs with few meadows. Slopes range up to 90°. Soil cover is very thin if existing. A Buffer Zone of moderate disturbance contains small villages, with some terraces used for agriculture, associated with small tree patches. A Transition Zone is of lower altitude and lower slope gradient. It ls more dominated by agriculture and pasture with larger villages and few unasphalted roads. Besides the protected zones, the Common Used Zone is quite far from the two inner protected zones. It is composed of asphalted roads, roadside small markets and protected zones

The graph in the right box shows a statistical analysis of the spatial distribution of the land use pattern based on satellite images (Pfeifer et al. 2016). It reveals that the shrubland is the dominating form of land use in DPPA. Shrubs cover 80 % of the core zone and 68 % of the buffer zone, with no forested areas. The quite low occurrence of plantation land use class compared to that of the entire Ibb Governorate confirmes the low human activity in DPPA, which, could promote successful protection.

Flagship species of endemic plants and birds have been recorded in high numbers. Arabian Leopard is also reported quite frequently by locals. Low human activity in DPPA mountains is promising for successful conservation. It should also be protected for the clear successions and climax plant communities noticed.

Area of protection zones

70.0 km²

16.5 km²

and Al-Qa’idah City. In the future the zonation scheme should be extended to build a larger protected area containing also Jabal Sawraq, which extends between the three governorates Ibb, Taiz & Dale'e and classified as one of the CEPF 261 KBAs in the Eastern Afromontane.