IUCN promotes Andalusia and Saudi Arabia protected areas exchanges

Thanks to the excellent disposition of IUCN Member Junta de Andalucía, a five-day fruitful programme to learn about good governance, strong planning and design, effective management, and successful conservation outcomes in key protected areas in Andalusia was organized for a team from the King Abdulaziz Royal Nature Reserve (KARNR), including the visit to the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN Med) in Málaga, Spain in April, 2025.  

The hosted team, composed of a delegation of 10 KARNR experts and 4 colleagues from ROWA accompanied by IUCN Med staff, visited leading sites in Spain such as the Sierra Nevada National Park, included in the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, Granada Geopark and Sierra de Gaza, UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Geopark Cabo de Gata-Níjar, and the Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA), expanding knowledge of practical solutions to common challenges in protected area management, such as human-wildlife conflict, resource limitations, climate change impacts, and other local threats.  

The activities organized aimed to provide a better understanding on how to integrate biodiversity conservation with tourism and public use, including visitor management, ecotourism facilities, and infrastructure to minimize environmental impact while enhancing visitor experience and about the implementation of landscape-level policies and initiatives to improve ecological connectivity between protected areas. The learning exchange visit is part also of the Effective Management of King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve project aiming to establish an effective, well-governed, and sustainable management system for the King Abdulaziz Royal Nature Reserve (KARNR). IUCN Med remains supportive and grateful to the Andalusian regional government for facilitating insights into the management of different types of protected areas, including governance structures, legal frameworks, and partnerships involved, the development and implementation of management plans, monitoring progress toward objectives, and adaptive management strategies.  

IUCN Med

Saudi Arabia delegation at the Visitor Centre of Sierra Nevada National park (Granada, Spain)

Together with colleagues from the IUCN Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA), the visit to the IUCN Med office in Malaga was also an opportunity to discuss the IUCN Med regional programme, meet the staff , share lessons learned during the field visits with protected area managers in Andalusia, and explore opportunities for future collaboration at international level.    

Thank you to all the regional protected area managers in Andalusia that welcomed us and helped in the organization and spreading knowledge on ongoing habitat restoration projects, educational programmes to engage the public in conservation efforts, exploring ways to enhance stakeholder participation and collaboration, and learning about best practices in partnerships between protected area management and local businesses. At the end of their stay in Andalusia, the KARNR team expressed their appreciation for the mutual collaboration, highlighting the visit as a step toward enhancing ecosystem conservation and aligning with global best practices.