Rivers, waterfalls, wildlife: UAE residents invited to Wadi Wurayah for rare field trips

UAE residents are being given the rare opportunity to explore Wadi Wurayah National Park, the country’s first protected mountain area, and help in conservation efforts. Recognised internationally as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the park in Fujairah remains temporarily closed to the public, with only formal delegations and scholars allowed inside.

Residents can sign up for Emirates Nature-WWF’s Leaders of Change programme to contribute to research and conservation within the reserve. Leaders of Change is the UAE’s biggest civil society movement for nature with over 5,000 members.

“Wadi Wurayah National Park, located in the scenic Hajar mountain range in Fujairah, is renowned for its rare beauty, unique biodiversity, and exceptional geological formations, including rocky cliffs, rivers, and distinctive rock structures," Dr Ali Alhamoudi, the park’s manager, told Khaleej Times.

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"The park is characterised by breathtaking natural landscapes, waterfalls, and diverse wildlife, offering a remarkable experience for nature conservation enthusiasts and tourists alike,” he added. “Spanning 220 square kilometres, the park is home to approximately 1,050 species of flora and fauna, including 208 plant species.”

Dr Ali noted that Wadi Wurayah serves as a sanctuary for rare species such as the Blandford's fox, Gordon's wildcat, hedgehogs, and caracals. "The park is also an ornithologist’s dream, with 114 bird species recorded within the area. Recent wildlife surveys indicate that 24 out of the 28 known species of wild dragonflies in the UAE inhabit the park,” explained Dr Ali.

The Fujairah Environment Authority (FEA) has in the past leveraged citizen science for biodiversity surveys that assess the state of key habitats and species in Wadi Wurayah. These surveys have even led to new discoveries, including Urothemis thomasi — a dragonfly that was previously thought to be extinct and recorded for the first time in the UAE.

Wadi Wurayah was announced as the country's first protected mountain area in 2009. It was closed to the public in 2013. “Since this is a protected area, trespassers are subject to legal actions under the law. There are many sign boards distributed around the park to mark its borders and inform the public about the same,” said Dr Ali.

Field trips into the heart of nature

Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director-General of Emirates Nature-WWF, explained to Khaleej Times that Leaders of Change will organise “exclusive field trips” within the national park. This allows students and residents to “discover its breathtaking diversity and the astonishing resilience of life”.

The programme, which is open to everyone in the UAE, will see participants act as ‘citizen scientists’ – working alongside conservationists and experts to record valuable data around the park’s many species, including elusive and wildlife that only come out night.

Moreover, citizen scientists collect data around the state of freshwater ecosystems within Wadi Wurayah as well as the natural habitats that species rely upon for shelter and food.

Many of the species that call the rocky mountainous environment home are vulnerable to threats of climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and water scarcity.

The information gathered during the field trips provides a deeper understanding around the health of biodiversity in the park, especially key species that are crucial for the overall ecosystem. “This data supports scientific research and informs environmental policies and strategies to enhance conservation, and guide sustainable management within the national park," Laila added.

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