The UAE has deepened its environmental partnership with Mongolia through a new agreement aimed at conserving the Asian Houbara and Great Bustard, two endangered bird species vital to the region’s biodiversity.
Signed under the Erth Zayed Philanthropies umbrella during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, the Memorandum of Understanding brings together the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) and Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism to advance joint research and conservation initiatives.
Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Deputy Chairman of the IFHC Board of Directors, and Batbayar Bat, Mongolia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, signed the agreement at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The collaboration builds on years of joint environmental work between the two nations and highlights the ecological link connecting them, as satellite tracking has shown the Mongolian Asian Houbara migrates to Abu Dhabi.
Al Bowardi described the partnership as a continuation of the UAE’s commitment to protecting species that form part of its natural and cultural heritage. He said the MoU will enable both countries to share expertise in avian biology, habitat management, and captive breeding to safeguard the two bird populations.
The initiative reflects the UAE’s enduring environmental legacy inspired by the nation’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Under the agreement, both parties will conduct field surveys, track wild populations, and implement science-based conservation measures to ensure sustainable populations of the Asian Houbara and Great Bustard across Mongolia.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
