Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000
various scales have been proposed or suggested to the Government for protection though
various projects e.g. GEF, USAID, etc.
Jordan
There are no existing MPAs, and the Aqaba Coral Reef Protected Area is the only area
proposed for protected. This encompasses only 5% of the coastline.
Saudi Arabia
There is an extensive network of terrestrial protected areas, but the development and
implementation of MPAs is less advanced. Many areas have been proposed and suggested,
dating back to the mid- and late 1980s, but progress is slow. The Farasan islands in the far
south were protected in 1996, and the Jubail Wildlife Sanctuary was developed shortly
after the Gulf war, however, no other recent MPAs have been established. This is expected
to change with the resurgence of PERSGA and its Strategic Action Plan, with up to 32
protected areas being proposed for the Red Sea alone.
Somalia
Three areas have been proposed for protection along the Gulf of Aden coast, however,
only the Aibat, Saad ad-Din and Saba Wanak areas contain significant coral growth.
Sudan
The only MPA is the Sanganeb Marine National Park, established in 1990. This 12km 2 atoll
has highly diverse and complex coral reefs, but management is limited. Damage from
recreation, such as anchor damage from tourist boats, and shipping is considered low.
Yemen
There is one protected area and 6 proposed MPAs, however the process to establish these
is relatively new and will only proceed with funding and technical input from IUCN, the
Global Environment Facility and PERSGA.
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