The IFHC is based in Abu Dhabi, UAE and is the global leader in preemptive species conservation.
According to the MOU, IFHC will join forces with the Israel Nature and Heritage Foundation (INHF,) a voluntary association founded to protect and conserve Israel's nature, landscapes, and heritage sites.
The two organizations will work together over the next five years in order to promote and maintain the conservation of the Houbara bustard and other rare and threatened bird species in the country.
The MOU was signed on behalf of IFHC by His Excellency Majid Ali Al Mansouri, and on behalf of INHF by Maj.Gen. (ret.) Matan Vilnai. It was only made possible thanks to the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel, enacted with the signing of the Abraham Accords in August 2020.
“Under this landmark agreement, INHF will benefit from IFHC’s substantial knowledge on the biology, behaviour and population dynamics of the Houbara bustard and other vulnerable species and its expertise in the restoration and preservation of habitats and ecosystems,” Vilnai said.
Al Mansouri noted the unique location of Israel as a central stopping point for migrating birds.
“This is a momentous accord for IFHC, allowing us to cooperate with experts in a country that is an intercontinental bird migration junction and where great conservation efforts are being undertaken,” Al Mansouri said. “In our drive to foster greater global dialogue and cooperation on conservation we are honoured to share IFHC’s years of scientific research and excellence in the field with our fellow committed conservationists in Israel," he added.
In Israel, most of the Houbara population is concentrated in the Negev desert, in the southern part of the country. The agreement will involve field studies and research aimed at preserving the Houbara population and its habitat in the region, including monitoring its population in order to asses survival, dispersal and breeding rates, all of which are expected to create a better picture of what is currently known about the endangered bird.