The International Fund for Houbara Conservation shares its success story to global leaders in environmental education
Shaping future leaders and engaging communities in biodiversity conservation and sustainable cultural heritage
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: The International Fund for Houbara Conservation participates in the twelfth edition of the World Environmental Education Congress, hosted for the first time in the Middle East by the United Arab Emirates at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the esteemed patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Representative of the Ruler of Al Dhafra Region and the Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. This participation is in collaboration with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, a strategic partner of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, in the fields of wildlife protection, scientific research, environmental education, and awareness. The aim is to share the success story of the Abu Dhabi Houbara Conservation Programme, established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan 47 years ago, with global leaders in environmental education at the conference. The programme has become a fundamental reference in breeding techniques in captivity and release into the wild, following international scientific standards, producing over half a million Houbara until its last season in 2023.
The Fund’s pavilion at this major global event welcomes participating leaders and specialists in Environmental Education from around the world. The pavilion showcases the Asian Houbara birds produced in the UAE centres, representing a part of the achievements of the Abu Dhabi programme founded by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the late 1970s. The pavilion explains to the guests a simplified model of the artificial processes developed by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation’s breeding centres. Visitors can learn about the suitable conditions for Houbara reproduction in large numbers in captivity and the procedures for artificial insemination, incubation, hatching, and chick rearing.
In this Congress, the Fund’s pavilion specifically focuses on presenting the experience of the national-level educational programme implemented in the United Arab Emirates. The Fund’s education team highlights the Houbara Education Model and the Education Portal, supporting the shaping of future leaders’ thinking in wildlife conservation. The portal provides teachers, educators, and parents with resources, tools and engaging materials about culture and heritage, traditions, nature, sustainability, and environment preservation in the face of contemporary challenges such as pollution, climate change, and various threats.
The Fund’s active engagement at this conference brings a wealth of knowledge to several thematic discussions. In the session exploring the interplay of cultural values, diversity, and their impact on environmental education and sustainable development practices, Mr. Mohamed Saleh Al-Baidani, Advisor to the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, illuminates the audience on the enduring tradition of falconry within the UAE. He underscores its role as a beacon of sustainable practice, reflecting the nation’s deep-rooted commitment to animal welfare, wildlife preservation, and the pursuit of living in accord with the natural world. Addressing the conference’s primary theme, which grapples with the triple planetary crisis — climate change, pollution, and the erosion of biodiversity — the Fund presents an insightful exposition on the Abu Dhabi Houbara Programme’s vital contributions to biodiversity monitoring. Dr. Yves Hingrat, a Research Director at Reneco International Wildlife Consultants and a pivotal figure within the Fund’s operations, articulates how the programme bolsters understanding and consciousness regarding the stewardship of arid ecosystems. In a session dedicated to fostering cooperative efforts and knowledge-sharing communities to surmount environmental tribulations, Mrs. Hamda Al Ameri advocates for the ‘Stories from Our Environment’ initiative, emphasising its role in cultivating students’ literary and artistic prowess. Complementing this, Ms. Sarah Jizzini, a dynamic member of the Fund’s Education Team, unveils an innovative educational strategy designed to engage and inspire, with interactive learning at its core, poised to empower a new cadre of environmental stewards.
