UAE National Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan 2022 - 2026.

This National Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan is a 5-year nationwide sectoral document aiming at (i) improve public awareness of invasive alien species; (ii) enhance capacity for managing invasive alien species; (iii) prevent the introduction and spread of alien and invasive alien species; (iv) manage established priority invasive alien species; (v) enhance and strengthen cooperation and coordination at the national, regional and international level. The final end is to achieve the Vision of natural resources, the environment, and communities protected from the impact of IAS. The document highlights different interventions to be implemented based on their effect on the national environmental and natural resources, dividing them into (i) immediate priority actions, essential to prevent the extinction or extirpation of endemic and native threatened species (to be implemented within 1 - 3 years); (ii) medium-term priority actions, essential to avoid a significant decline in endemic and native species population (to be implemented within 3 - 5 years); (iii) long-term priority actions, non-critical measures recommended for the recovery of species and restoration of the ecosystem (may require more than 5 years to be implemented). An annual review of the implementation plan and priority actions will be undertaken to address emerging needs and issues, and to measure progress toward achieving the Plan’s outcomes.
As the first action, a national workshop has been conducted to identify the IAS in the UAE. It produced a list of 24 species (in Appendix 1) that was further reduced to have a priority list of IAS that provides information on the detection, eradication, and control measures of the 20 priority species. The identification of priority alien and known invasive species for potential eradication or management actions was based on information available on the known severity and magnitude of their negative impacts on native species, ecosystems, and socioeconomic impacts. The implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan will be coordinated by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders.