July 2011: The latest issue of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “Conservation Made Clear” newsletter features articles on conservation efforts in West Asia, including reviving traditional knowledge, restoring drylands and the re-discovery of the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis in the Syrian Palmyra desert.

This issue highlights that West Asia is one of the most arid regions in the world and will be affected heavily by climate change, with water shortages and a scarcity of arable land being the major challenges. In the Zarqa River Basin of Jordan, IUCN is working on restoring drylands and exploring new ways to secure income for rural communities. In Oman, IUCN is strengthening the eco-tourism sector. This issue also features an article on the pre-Islamic system of environmental protection known as “hima,” areas set aside seasonally to allow regeneration of renewable natural resources, and how the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon, seeks to revitalize himas and other such effective conservation traditions.

Finally, this issue notes that IUCN is involved in Syrian Palmyra desert in efforts to protect the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis, which was rediscovered on a remote cliff in 2002. IUCN’s Northern Bald Ibis Project focuses on conserving the bird through field studies and new standards for managing protected areas where the bird occurs in Syria. [Publication: Conservation Made Clear]