Current Status of Nature Reserves in Palestine

Abstract

Nature reserves are an important component of the strategy to halt biodiversity loss caused by habitat fragmentation and loss, climate change, and other anthropogenic factors. The results of our study showed that: (1). Palestine currently has 50 nature reserves covering approximately (511.58 km2), 9% of the West Bank region area. These reserves were established for a variety of reasons - often unrelated to the protection of biodiversity. In the year 1999, the Ministry of environmental affairs proposed the establishment of Wadi Gaza wetland reserve, which is the first nature reserve was declared by the Palestinian legislative council. The smallest nature reserve has an area of (0.01 Km2), and the largest has an area of (85.59 Km2). The Palestinian nature reserves institutional framework, either out of date or not covering all aspects of nature reserves and emerging issues at the national level More scientific approach is needed to effectively re-establish and manage nature reserves in Palestine. Wadi Alquf forest reserve is the only forest reserve, that has management Plan, but till now this management plan neither published nor implemented on the ground yet.