IUCN, Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA)

Protected areas are considered one of the most effective and widely used methods for biodiversity conservation on a global scale. Therefore, effective, and equitable management and operation of these areas are crucial for conserving their biodiversity. Guidelines for evaluating the management effectiveness of protected areas have been developed, and their impact is widespread around the world.

Protected areas are the basic corner stone for protecting and managing the world's biodiversity, given their major and effective role in reducing the degradation of many ecosystems and habitats as a result of unsustainable human practices.

Marine invasive species can have a disastrous impact on biodiversity, ecosystems, fisheries, human health, tourism and coastal development, and they can be extremely difficult and costly to control.

The Eastern Mediterranean fish field guide covers the most common fish species found in the Eastern Mediterranean, off the Lebanese coast. It presents a selection of 176 species spread across 89 families. The publication offers information summarising natural environments, behaviours, appearances, biology and The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species conservation status in the Mediterranean region.