Online Agreement of Cooperation Ceremony for Conservation and Management of World Natural Heritage Sites in Northern Okinawa and Iriomote Island (August 2022)

An agreement of cooperation ceremony for World Natural Heritage Sites was held online due to the prevalence of COVID-19. Two parts of Okinawa prefecture were registered as World Heritage sites: the Yambaru area of northern Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island.　Our challenge for the future is to maintain and manage the proper balance between conservation and land use in these areas. To this end, it is necessary to understand the current situation and establish future guidelines. Moreover, the accumulation of research findings that serve as basic information is indispensable. To further cooperation in this research, an agreement was formed among related organizations in Okinawa Prefecture, and OIST joined this agreement with the Environmental Science Section serving as the contact point.This is one of the results of the OKEON Churamori Project, which has established a biodiversity monitoring network throughout Okinawa Island and created collaborative networks with people in the region. However, this is not a goal but a beginning. Conservation of Okinawa's nature from invasive alien species, one of the major problems threatening the Yanbaru region, will not be achieved by protecting the Yanbaru region alone. We think that the south and central regions where many people live will be the main battleground for countermeasures against invasive species. Therefore, we must continue to contribute to the conservation of Okinawa's biodiversity through our research on alien ants.