The Unfenced Desert Towards a strategy for eco ... - Nwrc.gov.sa

Ranger chain of command : Day-to-day management of rangers camp structures
is carried out by the head ranger or his deputy, under authority of NCWCD head
office staff in Riyadh.
Camps and other buildings : The three camps consist of portacabin and tent
accommodation. The main camp has some crude out-buildings for kitchen and
storage.
Tracks and roads : The reserve has no sealed roads. A graded track
provides the main access to the protected area, from the Najran-Wadi Al-Dawasir
highway.
Other facilities : Power is supplied by diesel generators. Water is
trucked in. Petrol is obtained from stations on the Najran highway.
Maintenance of facilities : On-site maintenance is the responsibility of the
rangers and their support staff of labourers ad mechanics, with support from local
contractors and NCWCD in Riyadh.
Other patrols : Aerial surveys for camels and for reintroduced
ungulates take place around once or twice per month, using the NCWCD aircraft
based at the NWRC, In Taif.
Threats to integrity : Seasonal encroachment of camel grazing in the core
zone.
Other Stakeholders
Local community identity : Principal tribes are the Al Dawasir and the
Qahtan; 30% of the region’s population is nomadic or only semi-settled.
Local economic structure : Based on camel herding, and service for the
main highway traffic.
Local communities involvement : Local people have been employed almost
exclusively as rangers. Services such as petrol, diesel and food and water supplies
obtained locally. The NCWCD maintain formal links with tribal leaders through a
Contact Group.
Government ministry involvement : The Ministry of Interior assists with regulating
access to the escarpment areas.
Regional Infrastructure
Nearest petrol supplies : A number of commercial petrol stations are
situated along the Najran-Al-Dawasir highway, the nearest less than 20km from the
main camp.
Nearest over-night accommodation : Reasonable overnight accommodation can
be found at As Sulayl, about 150km to the north.
Nearest towns (150 km radius) : As Sulayl (150km);
Distance to regional centre (Emara) : Najran lies about 200km to the south.
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