Al Jabal Al Akhdar Initiative 2004 - 2007: A post project analysis. Presented by Reginald Victor at the "Perth II: Global Change and the World's Mountains" conference in Perth, Scotland in September 2010.

1. Al Jabal Al Akhdar Initiative 2004 -2007
A post project analysis
Reginald Victor
Deanship of Research
and
Department of Biology, College of Science, P.O. Box 36,
Sultan Qaboos University, PC123, Sultanate of Oman.
Email: rvictor@squ.edu.om

4. Landsat TM Bands 7,4,2 Color composite – 13 Dec. 1999

21. Significance of Al Jabal Al Akhdar
• An important terrestrial ecoregion in the world
• Unique in its geography, climate, geology,
biodiversity, history, culture and aesthetic
value
• Fragile ecosystem; delicate interrelationships
between the physical environment, the flora,
fauna and most of all man

22. Jabal Akhdar - Past
• Regulated wilderness with controlled and difficult
access
• Predominantly, isolated and insulated
communities
• Relatively small number of residents and
transients
• No serious threats to ecosystem and cultural
integrity
• Poor infrastructure and service facilities

23. Al Jabal Al Akhdar Initiative
• A multidisciplinary case study research
funded by HM’s Strategic Research Grant for the
period 2004 – 2007
• Objective is conservation and sustainable
development using the integrated approach advocated
by the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
(NBSAP)
• Follow-up of a proposal made by Victor (2003) to
study Al Jabal Al Akhdar in NBSAP framework

24. Research components
• Climate – Atsu Dorvlo, David Ampretwam and Andy Kwarteng
• Biodiversity inventory- Reginald Victor
• Vegetation ecology- Annette Patzelt
• Birds- Jens Eriksen
• Water resources – Reginald Victor and Mushtaque Ahmed
• Soil resources – Malik Al Wardi
• Overgrazing and animal husbandry issues – Osman Maghoub
and Michael Robinson
• Optimization of ecotourism- Dipak Chadhuri and Ram Ramanathan
• Socioeconomic impacts of tourism- Ram Ramanathan and Geetha
Subramanian

25. What is the outcome?
• The results produced a blue print for the
conservation and sustainable development
of the JA region.
• Results were discussed in the
International Mountain Conference,
February 2008
• Proceedings contain the extended
abstracts of some results presented
(Victor and Robinson, 2009)

26. This presentation
• Here an overview of post project analysis
is presented
• Methodology: Modified Pressure-States-
Response (PSR) approach
• Pressures identified in 2004
• States described at the end of 2007
• Responses till now in 2010

27. Climate
• Pressure – Part of the Global Climate Change
• States: Significantly increasing trend in temperature; low
rainfall; low vapour pressure; low humidity; inadequate
precipitation
• Problem: Data deficiency, only for < 20 years: met
stations need to be upgraded
• Response: Still awaited
Daily average temperature 1987 to 2004 relative to 1987 average
Average daily temperature for Saiq 1987-2003
4
23
Daily average temperature in celsius
3
22
2
21
1
20
0 19
-1 18
-2 17
-3 16
Total 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Total 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
YEAR Year

28. Flora and Vegetation
• Pressures: Urban development, changes in in
agricultural practices and overgrazing
• States: One fourth all Oman flora is still here. High
species diversity and high endemism. Key biodiversity
region.
• Response despite recommendations: Expansion of
intensive agriculture and developmental activities;
destruction of woodlands and no protected areas.

29. Faunal biodiversity
• Pressures: Same as flora; additional problem
that many species will disappear even before
discovery.
• States: 437 species excluding birds; bird
species increased from 68 – 77 (indicative of
degradation of mountain habitats)
• Response: Protected areas and taxonomic
studies sorely needed

30. Water Resources
• Pressures: Poor rainfall; eutrophication of surface
waters; underutilization of reservoirs; increase in
population and demand; overexploitation of groundwater
• States: Groundwater extraction exceeds recharge
potential of aquifers; water quality of all reservoirs
unacceptable for consumption.
• Response: Further increases in groundwater extraction
due to increases in demand due to urban development.
No attempts yet to improve the water use efficiency of
reservoir waters

31. Soil Resources
• Pressures: Developmental and agricultural
activities
• States: Erosion due to soil instability; topsoil
removal; seed bank removal; increase in surface
run off and nutrient removal
• Response: Land use strategies awaited.

32. Goat Husbandry
• Pressures: Animal numbers and overgrazing of the
range; myth that range feeding goats taste better
• States: Range did not provide sufficient nutrition;
herding impacted due to loss of child labour; stall
feeding preferred, but financial constraints restricts
practice
• Response: Pen feeding with nutrient supplement +
short periods of grazing. Positive response from
herders; good government support

33. Overgrazing
• Pressures: Goats, Sheep and Feral
donkeys
• States: Grazing pressures on shared diet
plants was great; feral donkeys may be
reducing small stock productivity; grazing
intensity beyond sustainable levels.
• Response: Changes in range
management policies awaited

34. Ecotourism Development
• Pressures: Tourism initiatives
• States: High priority area for tourism development;
intense promotion of tourism; lack of understanding of
ecotourism. Optimization of the benefits of ecotourism
and guidelines
• Response: Study because of its highly sophisticated
modeling approach is misunderstood and is posing a
threat from unchecked tourism activities

35. Socioeconomic Impact Assessment
of Tourism Development
• Pressures: Expected. Threat to environment, local
tradition and culture; non-accrual of benefits to locals;
pressure on existing infrastructure
• States: No pressures on existing infra structure, which
actually improved; increase in employment opportunity
for locals; improvement in revenue generation.
• Response: Socioeconomic Environment Management
Plan proposed. Tourism development has intensified
reversing the local perception of tourism being beneficial

36. Jabal Akhdar - Present
• Open and easy access
• Villages and communities well connected with roads
• Increase in the number of residents and households;
very high number of transients
• Good infrastructure with improved service facilities
• Very rapid development for maximizing tourism revenues

37. Conclusion
• In 2008, a question, “Are we losing Al
Jabal Akhdar?” was asked (Victor 2009)
based on problems with scientific
uncertainties, not addressed by the
Initiative
• This post project analysis, based on
empirical data affirms that we are rapidly
losing the ecosystem integrity of Al Jabal
Akhdar.

38. Thank you for your attention