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Course Title: Ecotourism

Course Code: (TM371)

Lecture

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Lecture Title: Protected areas

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Learning Objectives

•The student will be able to know the protected areas

contents

• Strict Nature Reserve • Wilderness Area • National Park• Natural Monument or Feature• Habitat/Species Management Area• Protected Landscape/Seascape• Protected Area with sustainable use of

natural resources

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Strict Nature Reserve (Elomayed Natural protected) •Protected areas that are strictly set aside

to protect biodiversity and also possibly geological/geomorphological features, where human visitation, use and impacts are strictly controlled and limited to ensure protection of the conservation values. Such protected areas can serve as indispensable reference areas for scientific research and monitoring.

Primary objective

•To conserve regionally, nationally or globally outstanding ecosystems, species (occurrences or aggregations) and/or geodiversity features: these attributes will have been formed mostly or entirely by non-human forces and will be degraded or destroyed when subjected to all but very light human impact

Other objectives• To preserve ecosystems, species and geodiversity

features in a state as undisturbed by recent human activity as possible;

• To secure examples of the natural environment for scientific studies, environmental monitoring and education, including baseline areas from which all avoidable access is excluded;

• To minimize disturbance through careful planning and implementation of research and other approved activities;

• To conserve cultural and spiritual values associated with nature.

Wilderness Area  •Protected areas that are usually large

unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural character and influence, without permanent or significant human habitation, which are protected and managed so as to preserve their natural condition

Primary objective

•To protect the long-term ecological integrity of natural areas that are undisturbed by significant human activity, free of modern infrastructure and where natural forces and processes predominate, so that current and future generations have the opportunity to experience such areas.

Other objectives • To provide for public access at levels and of a type which will

maintain the wilderness qualities of the area for present and future generations;  To enable indigenous communities to maintain their traditional wilderness-based lifestyle and customs, living at low density and using the available resources in ways compatible with the conservation objectives;

• To protect the relevant cultural and spiritual values and non-material benefits to indigenous or non-indigenous populations, such as solitude, respect for sacred sites, respect for ancestors etc.;

• To allow for low-impact minimally invasive educational and scientific research activities, when such activities cannot be conducted outside the wilderness area.

National Park (Ras Mohamed)•Large natural or near natural areas set

aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with the complement of species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities

Primary objective

•To protect natural biodiversity along with its underlying ecological structure and supporting environmental processes, and to promote education and recreation.

Other objectives• To manage the area in order to perpetuate, in as natural a state as

possible, representative examples of physiographic regions, biotic communities, genetic resources and unimpaired natural processes;

• To maintain viable and ecologically functional populations and assemblages of native species at densities sufficient to conserve ecosystem integrity and resilience in the long term;

• To contribute in particular to conservation of wide-ranging species, regional ecological processes and migration routes;

• To manage visitor use for inspirational, educational, cultural and recreational purposes at a level which will not cause significant biological or ecological degradation to the natural resources;

• To take into account the needs of indigenous people and local communities, including subsistence resource use, in so far as these will not adversely affect the primary management objective;

• To contribute to local economies through tourism

Natural Monument or Feature -•The Petrified Forest Area in Maadi -

Cairo•Protected areas set aside to protect a

specific natural monument, which can be a landform, sea mount, submarine cavern, geological feature such as a cave or even a living feature such as an ancient grove. They are generally quite small protected areas and often have high visitor value

Primary objective• To protect specific outstanding natural features

and their associated biodiversity and habitats.• Other objectives• To provide biodiversity protection in landscapes

or seascapes that have otherwise undergone major changes;

• To protect specific natural sites with spiritual and/or cultural values where these also have biodiversity values;

• To conserve traditional spiritual and cultural values of the site.

Habitat/Species Management Area• Zaraniq protected Area•Protected areas aiming to protect

particular species or habitats and management reflects this priority. Many category IV protected areas will need regular, active interventions to address the requirements of particular species or to maintain habitats, but this is not a requirement of the category.

Primary objective• To maintain, conserve and restore species and

habitats.Other objectives• To protect vegetation patterns or other biological

features through traditional management approaches;

• To protect fragments of habitats as components of landscape or seascape-scale conservation strategies;

• To develop public education and appreciation of the species and/or habitats concerned;

• To provide a means by which the urban residents may obtain regular contact with nature.

Protected Landscape/ Seascape

•Abu Gallum protected area in South Sinai Governorate

•A protected area where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural and scenic value: and where safeguarding the integrity of this interaction is vital to protecting and sustaining the area and its associated nature conservation and other values.

Primary objective

•To protect and sustain important landscapes/seascapes and the associated nature conservation and other values created by interactions with humans through traditional management practices.

Other objectives• To maintain a balanced interaction of nature and culture through the

protection of landscape and/or seascape and associated traditional management approaches, societies, cultures and spiritual values;

• To contribute to broad-scale conservation by maintaining species associated with cultural landscapes and/or by providing conservation opportunities in heavily used landscapes;

• To provide opportunities for enjoyment, well-being and socio-economic activity through recreation and tourism;

• To provide natural products and environmental services;• To provide a framework to underpin active involvement by the

community in the management of valued landscapes or seascapes and the natural and cultural heritage that they contain;

• To encourage the conservation of agrobiodiversity6 and aquatic biodiversity;

• To act as models of sustainability so that lessons can be learnt for wider application.

Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources• (Ahrash Protectorate)

• Protected areas that conserve ecosystems and habitats, together with associated cultural values and traditional natural resource management systems. They are generally large, with most of the area in a natural condition, where a proportion is under sustainable natural resource management and where low-level non-industrial use of natural resources compatible with nature conservation is seen as one of the main aims of the area

Primary objective

•To protect natural ecosystems and use natural resources sustainably, when conservation and sustainable use can be mutually beneficial.

Other objectives• To promote sustainable use of natural resources, considering ecological,

economic and social dimensions;• To promote social and economic benefits to local communities where

relevant;• To facilitate inter-generational security for local communities' livelihoods –

therefore ensuring that such livelihoods are sustainable;• To integrate other cultural approaches, belief systems and world-views

within a range of social and economic approaches to nature conservation;• To contribute to developing and/or maintaining a more balanced

relationship between humans and the rest of nature;• To contribute to sustainable development at national, regional and local

level (in the last case mainly to local communities and/or indigenous peoples depending on the protected natural resources);

• To facilitate scientific research and environmental monitoring, mainly related to the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources;

• To collaborate in the delivery of benefits to people, mostly local communities, living in or near to the designated protected area;

• To facilitate recreation and appropriate small-scale tourism.

Natural Protectorates Description •1- Ras Mohamed Protected Area and

Tyran as well as Sanafir in South Sinai Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1983 Area : 850 km2 Type : World Heritage Protected AreaDistance from Cairo : 446 Km

•2- Zaraniq protected Area and El Bardwaeel Marsh in the North Sinai Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1985 Area : 230 km2 Type : Wetland protected area and a natural restricted area for birds Distance from Cairo : 300 km

•3- Coast marshes Area in Rafah North Sinai Governorate (Ahrash Protectorate)

Date of Announcement : 1985 Area : 8 km2Type : Developing resources protected areaDistance from Cairo : 370 km

• 4- Elba Natural protected Area in the Red Sea Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1986 Area : 35600 km2Type : National Park Protected Area Distance from Cairo: 1300 Km

• 5- Elomayed Natural protected Area in Matrouh Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1986 Area : 700 Km2Type : Desert Area and vital peripheralDistance from Cairo : 300 km

• 6- Saloga, Ghazal and the small Islands in between (First waterfall) in Aswan Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1986 Area : 0.5 km2Type : Wetlands and landscapeDistance from Cairo : 700 km

•7- Ashtoom El-gamil and Tenis island protected Area in Port said Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1988 Area : 180 km2 Type : Wetlands and Natural restricted Area for birds Distance from Cairo : 200 km

•8- Saint Katherine protected Area in South Sinai

Date of Announcement: 1988 Area: 5750 Km2Type : World cultural and Natural heritage protected area Distance from Cairo: 550 Km

• 9- Wadi Al- Alaqi in Aswan Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1989 Area : 30000 Km2Type: Desert Protected Area and Biosphere Reserve Distance from Cairo: 950 Km

•10- The Petrified Forest Area in Maadi - Cairo

Date of Announcement : 1989 Area : 7 Km2 Type: Geological protected area and a national heritage Distance from Cairo : 30 km

•11- Wadi Al-Asioutty protected Area in Asiout Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1989 Area: 35 km2 Type : Captive and multipurpose protected area Distance from Cairo : 400 Km

•12- Wadi El Rayan protected Area in Fayoum Governorate

Date of Announcement: 1989 Area: 1759 km2Type : Developing management resources protected area and a natural national heritage Distance from Cairo: 150 km

•13- Quaron Lake protected Area in El-Fayoum Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1989 Area : 1385 km2Type : WetlandsDistance from Cairo : 90 km

• 14- Hassana Dome protected Area in Giza Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1989 Area : 1 km2 Type : Geological protected areaDistance from Cairo : 23 km

•15- Wadi Sanor Cave protected Area in Beni Sueif Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1992 Area : 12 km2 Type : Geological protected area and national heritage Distance from Cairo : 200 km

•16- Nabq protected Area in South Sinai Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1992 Area : 600 km2 Type: Multipurpose protected areaDistance from Cairo : 500 km

• 17- Abu Gallum protected area in South Sinai Governorate

Date of announcement : 1992 Area : 500 Km2 Type : landscape protected area Distance from Cairo : 600 km

• 18- Taba protected Area in South Sinai Governorate

Date of announcement: 1998 Area : 3595 km2 Type : Desert and natural heritage protected area Distance from Cairo : 550 km

• 19- El-Brolus Protected Area in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate

Date of announcement : 1998 Area : 460 km2 Type : wetlands protected area Distance from Cairo : 300 km

•20- Nile river Islands Protected Area in Different Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1998 Area : 160 km2 Type : Wet lands protected area Distance from Cairo : 144 islands in different Governorate

•21- Wadi Degla Protected Area in Cairo Governorate

Date of Announcement : 1999 Area : 60 km2Type : Desert lands protected area Distance from Cairo : 10 km

•22 -Natural Siwa Protected Area in Matrouh Governorate

Date of Announcement : 2002 Area : 7800 km2

Type : Desert and cultural protected area Distance from Cairo : 800 km

• 23 -Natural white Desert Protected Area in El Wady EL Gedid

Date of Announcement : 2002 Area : 3010 km2

Type : Desert and landscape protected area

Distance from Cairo : 570 km

•24 -Wadi El Gemal - Hamata Protected Area

Date of Announcement : 2003 Area : 7450 km2

Type : Desert protected area Distance from Cairo : 850 km

•25 -Red Sea Northern Islands

Date of Announcement : 2006 Area : 1991 km2

Type : Developing resources protected area

• 26 -El Gulf El Kebeer

Date of Announcement : 2007 Area : 48523 km2

Type : Natural and Cultural National Park Protected Area

• 27 -El-Dababya

Date of Announcement : 2007 Area : 1 km2

Type : Geological protected area

•28 -El-Salum

Date of Announcement : 2010 Area : 383 km2

Type : Marine protected area

• 29 -El-Wahat El-Bahreya

Date of Announcement : 2010 Area : 109 km2

Type : Natural Heritage protected area

•30 -Mount Kamel Meteor Protectorate

Date of Announcement : 2012

References

•http://www.eeaa.gov.eg/arabic/main/Protect_desc.asp

•http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_quality/gpap_pacategories/