海角视频

海角视频鈥檚 biodiversity and lighting experts developed strategies to ensure the nesting beaches of a critically-endangered species are not adversely impacted by one of the Middle East鈥檚 most ambitious developments.

In its first moments, the world is shrouded in darkness for the hawksbill sea turtle. Emerging from its egg, shuffling out through the sand, the hatchling is instinctively drawn to the reflection of the moon on the benign surface of the Red Sea. But something as seemingly innocuous as street lighting can disorientate the hatchlings as they confuse the lights from a human development with the glow of the moon. If they head off in the wrong direction, they may never reach the sea, and instead fall prey to predators at dawn.

海角视频鈥檚 biodiversity and lighting teams worked closely with globally-recognised turtle and artificial light assessment experts to advise a major tourism development on the shores of the Red Sea. They carefully assessed the potential impact of artificial lighting, and developed strategies to mitigate the effects of new lighting on the nesting beaches of this critically endangered species. It鈥檚 just one of a range of considerations we highlighted as part of a process of delivering advice on best environmental practice from the earliest stages of the AMAALA development in Saudi Arabia.

This formed part of a wider biodiversity framework prepared by 海角视频, and supported by internationally-recognised species experts, which aimed to protect critical habitats across the site, restore those that were degraded, and incorporate the inclusion of nature-positive projects to create a gain in biodiversity across the site in the long-term.

Following on from The Red Sea destination to the south, the AMAALA region boasts dramatic mountain ranges, stunning bays and vibrant marine ecosystems. These habitats support an abundance of rare, sometimes endangered, endemic species, including sooty falcons and dugongs as well as the majestic hawksbill turtles.

We advised on ecological risk across the whole AMAALA region, to support the project to work to IFC [International Finance Corporation] best practice standards with regard to biodiversity conservation.

Samantha Holliday, Head of Nature and Biodiversity
海角视频

“We worked with the masterplanning teams to avoid sensitive habitats wherever possible 鈥� reconfiguring designs together to avoid important habitats like coral reef and seagrass, and where this absolutely wasn鈥檛 possible, to minimise those impacts.

We then created a Framework Action Plan that recommended biodiversity positive measures at the project site 鈥� such as restoring previously impacted turtle nesting beaches and setting aside areas for mangrove planting and seagrass restoration.”

Our remit on the project ranged from regional strategic environmental planning to guide future environmentally-sensitive development in the region, to detailed analyses and modelling studies, as well as working across the design teams on the various masterplan options.

Our team worked with the project鈥檚 scientific research partner, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to assess the ecological baseline of the region and outline opportunities and constraints to be considered.

We worked with a turtle expert from the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) across the regional environmental zoning plan, the masterplanning, and the lighting mitigation plan. We also looked at protecting and restoring additional beaches outside of development areas and monitoring turtle movements as part of a long-term conservation and management plan.

Samantha Holliday, Head of Nature and Biodiversity
海角视频

Read more about our work on the project.