The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to highlight successes in revitalising arid environments
The
Royal
Commission
for
AlUla
(RCU)
will
showcase
its
extensive
environmental
regeneration
projects
at
the
upcoming
Society
for
Ecological
Restoration’s
10th
World
Conference
(SER2023)
in
Darwin,
Australia.
RCU’s
participation
as
a
Premium
Sponsor
of
the
event
will
amplify
its
transformative
efforts
in
AlUla,
highlighting
its
emerging
leadership
role
in
the
sustainable
conservation
of
natural
and
cultural
landscapes
and
the
rejuvenation
of
arid,
degraded
ecosystems.
The
importance
of
this
year’s
event
underscores
the
legacy
of
SER’s
World
Conferences;
serving
as
a
meeting
point
for
experts
and
scholars,
SER
events
provide
vital
avenues
for
knowledge
exchange
on
the
latest
trends
in
restoration
science,
practice,
and
policy.
With
the
10th
World
Conference
marking
its
first
in-person
gathering
since
2019,
RCU’s
contribution
to
AlUla’s
comprehensive
regeneration
will
be
major
highlight
of
the
event,
held
from
26
to
30
September
2023.
As
the
custodian
of
AlUla,
a
region
with
a
unique
ecological
footprint,
RCU
is
spearheading
responsible
and
sustainable
development
at
a
pivotal
moment
for
global
biodiversity.
It
has
established
more
than
11,000
sq.
km
of
protected
areas,
totalling
more
than
50%
of
land
in
AlUla
County,
and
launched
impressive
nursery
operations
that
prioritise
native
flora,
such
as
peregrina
and
acacia.
By
2035,
RCU
plans
to
deliver
the
ecological
restoration
of
at
least
65,000
hectares.
Within
AlUla’s
Sharaan
Nature
Reserve,
which
covers
an
area
of
1,200
sq
km,
a
100-hectare
restoration
pilot
site
has
become
a
hallmark
of
RCU’s
ecological
restoration
strategy.
By
taking
an
approach
that
harnesses
natural
regeneration,
RCU
has
successfully
integrated
more
than
100,000
native
seedlings
into
the
wild
with
an
extraordinary
90%
survival
rate,
a
remarkable
feat
in
such
a
harsh
climate.
As
it
plans
to
introduce
400,000
more
seedlings
by
2024,
RCU
continues
its
drive
to
expand
green
areas,
leading
the
conversation
around
best
practices
in
eco-restoration.
“Restoration
efforts
in
the
desert
landscapes
of
AlUla
are
shining
examples
of
how
determined
action
can
yield
concrete
change,”
said
Dr
Stephen
Browne,
Vice
President
of
Wildlife
and
Natural
Heritage
at
RCU.
“RCU’s
achievements,
such
as
reintroducing
native
animal
species
to
their
natural
habitat
and
rejuvenating
native
flora,
offer
the
world
a
message
of
hope,
resilience,
and
collaboration.
Our
sponsorship
and
participation
at
SER2023
is
not
only
about
highlighting
our
milestones;
it
is
about
setting
international
benchmarks
for
others
to
follow.”
Beyond
its
tangible
ecological
impact,
RCU’s
work
emphasises
a
broader
narrative
that
links
nature
and
culture.
A
recent
RCU
study
found
native
flora
species
are
flourishing
in
‘conservation
islands’
at
the
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site
at
Hegra,
drawing
a
vivid
picture
of
nature’s
resilience.
RCU
envisions
AlUla
as
a
blueprint
for
the
protection
and
rejuvenation
of
arid
ecosystems.
Deep-rooted
community
involvement
is
also
fundamental
to
RCU’s
ecological
restoration
goals,
with
154
Rangers
from
the
AlUla
community
having
been
trained
and
deployed
to
work
across
AlUla’s
network
of
nature
reserves.
By
entrusting
the
land’s
guardianship
to
those
who
hold
it
dear
and
connecting
local
wisdom
with
modern
practices,
RCU
is
helping
to
shape
international
best
practices
for
protected
area
management.
Aligning
its
on-ground
efforts
with
global
ambitions,
RCU
has
strengthened
its
work
through
strategic
partnerships.
Its
association
with
entities
like
the
International
Union
for
Conservation
of
Nature
(IUCN)
underscores
its
commitment
to
collaboration.
This
accentuates
RCU’s
growing
prominence
in
the
eco-restoration
field
and
conveys
a
clear
message
to
the
world:
restoration
is
a
collective
mission,
and
every
initiative
is
vital
to
saving
our
environment.
SER2023
will
allow
RCU
to
communicate
its
overarching
agenda
of
positioning
AlUla
as
a
pioneering
model
for
eco-restoration.
With
achievements
ranging
from
creating
expansive
protected
areas
to
the
detailed
conservation
of
arid
ecosystems,
RCU
stands
not
just
as
a
participant,
but
as
a
leader
setting
a
gold
standard
for
sustainable
environmental
stewardship
worldwide.
