Wildlife and biodiversity conservation Malhan Rese

Performance Report - Local Partner: Sanad Organization (Nature Conservation Sector)

For the Project: Conserving Wildlife and Biodiversity in the Malhan Protected Area

July 2025

Report Prepared by: Shaif Ezz El-Din

Project data

Project Name:Biodiversity Conservation in the Malhan Protected Area

Project Location: Yemen - Al Mahwit Governorate - Malhan District

Name of Applicant: Sanid Relief and Development Organization

Report Duration: March

Start Date: April 1, 2025

Expiration Date: July 30, 2025

Organization Address: Sanad Al Asimah - Shu'ub District - Al Habari

Telephone Number: 0096701205757

Report Author: Shaif Ezz El-Din

Current Position: Project Manager

Email: Programs.officer@sanid.org

Mobile Number: 00967 778515109

Overview of wildlife and biodiversity in the Malhan Protected Area in Yemen

The project aims to preserve the endangered biodiversity in the Malhan Nature Reserve, which is a unique site that still maintains its ecological system, represented by the Arabian leopard, which became extinct in the Arabian Peninsula due to the threats and risks surrounding its environment in the Malhan area, as well as the distinctive plants with cash crops, such as medicinal and aromatic plants and perennial trees that reach more than 300 years and varying heights of more than 100 meters. All plants and trees are involved in the process of stabilizing the soil and humans as a result of climate change factors, erosion and natural disasters such as landslides due to its location near the towering Malhan Mountains.
Therefore, the spotlight has been shed on this reserve and many studies of a traditional nature and self-financing have been carried out, which encourages all those interested in nature to pay attention to this distinguished patch of land, as the state had previously shown interest by issuing a decision to declare it a nature reserve by decision issued by the Prime Minister No. (349) of 2010. All this biodiversity is reflected in the lives of individuals and communities, which are entirely dependent on these natural resources and pursue their primary activities of agriculture, some handicrafts, and traditional professions. Rural women play an important and prominent role in visible and invisible activities and businesses, such as farming, livestock breeding, wild beekeeping, and the increased breeding of wild carnivorous birds such as Arabian partridges, rabbits, and ibex.

All the local residents of the reserve depend on these natural resources as their sole source of livelihood and for feeding their children, using ancient traditional methods. They also depend on wildlife and animals (mammals, reptiles, and insects).

The reserve includes diverse plant and animal species, including some rare and endangered species. The project aims to develop a management plan that takes into account all aspects and establishes a relationship between the reserve and the local community based on partnership and cooperation in preserving the reserve's animal and plant components. This is limited to hunting and commercial purposes, defining and regulating grazing seasons, and raising community awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the sustainability of natural resources.

The project will also implement clean-up campaigns throughout the reserve and identify alternatives, particularly to reduce excessive logging. The primary target group for this project is the local community located within the Malhan Reserve area, comprising parts of five zones representing seven sub-zones. The expected direct outcome of this project is the conservation of animal and plant species, particularly threatened species, and the sustainability of natural resources for future generations.

The importance of this project for international conservation lies in the fact that the Malhan Reserve represents a unique combination of physical factors that support several different ecosystems of great biological value, including endemic and threatened species, as well as a unique land use in itself.

Preserving these vital values is part of universal values, as the environment has no boundaries and is considered an extension of other environments.

Implemented activities:

1. A field visit by the organization's team to the reserve to conduct an assessment and inspect the reserve and its emergency needs.
2. Ensuring the safety of birds in these areas, and preventing their deaths or exposure to hunting.
3. Continuing to monitor violations against rare birds, both migratory and resident, through a volunteer team.
4. Holding two meetings with a legal office to follow up on the activation and implementation of existing laws in Yemen related to the protection of rare birds and the reserve in general, and preserving its beauty as an authentic Yemeni cultural heritage.
5. Implementing three awareness sessions in areas where rare birds of all kinds are found, criminalizing smuggling and killing, and reporting any dangers to which these birds are exposed.
6. Field visits to educational institutions (schools, universities, and institutes) to follow up on the implementation of previous agreements to educate students about the importance of preserving and protecting the reserves, most notably the Malhan Reserve, in coordination with educational institutions.
7. Continuing meetings with relevant government agencies to enhance the protection role and legally pursue perpetrators of crimes against the reserve.
8. Continuous coordination and communication with trusted partners and specialists on the ground to work to protect the reserve.
9. Providing medical care to some birds and animals by providing them with vaccines and special food supplies to ensure their survival.

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