International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 35 (4): 289-311, 2009 © NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY, NEW DELHI Characterisation of the Wadi Wurayah Catchment Basin, the First Mountain Protected Area in the United Arab Emirates CHRISTOPHE TOURENQ Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), P.O. Box 45977, Dubai, UAE. E-mail:
[email protected] ALI KHASSIM Environment Protection and Development Department, Fujairah Municipality, Po Box 7, Fujairah, UAE. E-mail:
[email protected] MOAZ SAWAF Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), P.O. Box 45977, Dubai, UAE. E-mail:
[email protected] MARAL KHALED SHURIQI Environment Protection & Development Department, Fujairah Municipality, Fujairah, UAE. Email:
[email protected] EMMA SMART Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), P.O. Box 45977, Dubai, UAE. & Wadifish Project, Dubai, UAE. E-mail:
[email protected]. MICHELE ZIOLKOWSKI PO Box 432, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Email:
[email protected] MIKE BROOK Kwena Pools, P.O.Box 25283, Gaborone, Botswana. E-mail:
[email protected] RHEA SELWAN Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), P.O. Box 45977, Dubai, UAE. Email:
[email protected] LISA PERRY Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), P.O. Box 45977, Dubai, UAE. & Wadifish Project, Dubai, UAE. E-mail:
[email protected]. ABSTRACT Wadi Wurayah, in the Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, lies within a priority WWF Global 200 Ecoregion (Ecoregion 127, Arabian Highlands and Shrublands), sheltering a rich diversity of rare and endangered mountainous and freshwater habitats and species, and providing opportunities for the sustenance and revival of local livelihoods.