The Environment Agency implemented the Wetlands Reserve Virtual Symposium, with the participation of the International Wetlands Organization, the British Center for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Biology and the Environment Society of Oman.
The topics of the symposium were the protected values of water birds and their environments, turtles, whales and biodiversity, as well as the effective factors in preserving the ecosystem, and the management plan for the wetland reserve in Al Wusta Governorate.
The symposium started with an opening speech by Dr. Soraya Al-Sarisi, Assistant Director-General for Nature Conservation at the authority, where she touched on the importance of wetlands on the environment and their contribution to maintaining the ecological balance between diverse animal and plant species, and their contribution to reducing soil and beach erosion, as they are considered valuable stopping points. For migratory birds, she also touched on the importance of wetlands in Al Wusta Governorate.
The symposium included a discussion of the protected values of waterfowl and their environments, turtles, whales and biodiversity, presented by Ms. Suad Al Harthy from the Omani Environment Society, and Dr. Steven de Bie from Wetlands International participated in the discussion about effective factors in preserving the ecosystem, and Dr. Paul discussed Whomersley of the British Center for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Wetland Reserve Management Scheme in Al Wusta Governorate.
It is worth mentioning that the Wetlands Reserve in the Wilayat of Mahout in the Al Wusta Governorate was announced by Royal Decree No. (51/2014 AD), and it is considered one of the pristine sites with complex ecosystems and unique biodiversity that makes it one of the rare reference sites in the world for the study of biodiversity and the sustainable use of wetlands. located between the intertidal zone.
It has been ranked among the top 25 sites of international importance for migratory birds in the Middle East during the winter in the migration path of Asia and East Africa, with an estimated area of 2,621 square km, and is considered a tourist resort for nature lovers and bird and wildlife watching enthusiasts.