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Arabian Leopard Fund Launches Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program

The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)
The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)
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Arabian Leopard Fund Launches Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program

The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)
The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard. (SPA)

The Arabian Leopard Fund, in partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), launched on Wednesday the Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program, which aligns with the AlUla Scholarship Program.

The program launch event was held at the new headquarters of the Arabian Leopard Fund in Riyadh.

The program includes 50 study missions to provide the next generation of AlUla conservationists with the practical skills and knowledge they need to protect the future of the endangered Arabian leopard.

The launch of the Arabian Leopard Scholarship Program follows the first International Day of the Arabian Leopard recognized by the United Nations, which was officially celebrated on February 10.

As part of the fund's commitment to developing human resources, it has initiated a five-year partnership with the British Durrell Conservation Academy. Under this collaboration, the fund fully sponsors participants enrolled in the Durrell Conservation Academy's DESMAN (Durrell Endangered Species Management) Program.

Additionally, another significant partnership has been forged with the RCU to design a specialized training program. This program focuses on acquiring skills related to the conservation of Arabian leopards and the effective management of captive breeding programs.

The newly launched scholarship program complements the Arabian Leopard Grants for research and initiatives for individuals and organizations. The grants include several domains such as zoology, environmental protection, nature conservation, veterinary medicine, biology, economics, and sociology.

The RCU established the Arabian Leopard Fund upon a royal decree and with an initial funding of $25 million to support Arabian Leopard conservation efforts regionally and globally, after observing the sharp decline in the number of Arabian Leopards, which was considered as “critically endangered”, according to the classification of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Kingdom’s commitment to preserving the species of Arabian leopard confirms its eagerness to protect biodiversity and the natural environment, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, as the fund, through its programs and initiatives, plays a pivotal role in mobilizing global efforts to reduce the extinction of big cats and restore environmental balance in the region.

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Air Pollution from Fires Linked to 1.5 Million Deaths a Year

The study was released a week after Ecuador declared a national emergency due to forest fires. Galo Paguay / AFP/File
The study was released a week after Ecuador declared a national emergency due to forest fires. Galo Paguay / AFP/File
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Air Pollution from Fires Linked to 1.5 Million Deaths a Year

The study was released a week after Ecuador declared a national emergency due to forest fires. Galo Paguay / AFP/File
The study was released a week after Ecuador declared a national emergency due to forest fires. Galo Paguay / AFP/File

Air pollution caused by fires is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths a year worldwide, the vast majority occurring in developing countries, a major new study said on Thursday.
This death toll is expected to rise in the coming years as climate change makes wildfires more frequent and intense, according to the study in The Lancet journal.
The international team of researchers looked at existing data on "landscape fires", which include both wildfires that rage through nature and planned fires such as controlled burns on farming land.
Around 450,000 deaths a year from heart disease were linked to fire-related air pollution between 2000 and 2019, the researchers said.
A further 220,000 deaths from respiratory disease were attributed to the smoke and particulates spewed into the air by fire, AFP said.
From all causes around the world, a total of 1.53 million annual deaths were associated with air pollution from landscape fires, according to the study.
More than 90 percent of these deaths were in low and middle-income countries, it added, with nearly 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
The countries with the highest death tolls were China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
A record amount of illegal burning of farm fields in northern India has been partly blamed for noxious smog that has recently been choking the capital New Delhi.
The authors of the Lancet study called for "urgent action" to address the huge death toll from landscape fires.
The disparity between rich and poor nations further highlights "climate injustice", in which those who have contributed the least to global warming suffer from it the most, they added.
Some of the ways people can avoid smoke from fires -- such as moving away from the area, using air purifiers and masks, or staying indoors -- are not available to people in poorer countries, the researchers pointed out.
So they called for more financial and technological support for people in the hardest-hit countries.
The study was released a week after UN climate talks where delegates agreed to a boost in climate funding that developing countries slammed as insufficient.
It also came after Ecuador declared a national emergency over forest fires that have razed more than 10,000 hectares in the country's south.
The world has also been battered by hurricanes, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events during what is expected to be the hottest year in recorded history.