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The Saint Katherine Protectorate is one of Egypt’s largest protected areas and includes the country’s highest mountains. This arid, mountain ecosystem supports a surprising biodiversity and a high proportion of plant endemics. The protectorate contains religious and culturally significant sites, including Mount Sinai and the Monastery of Saint Katherine. Seven thousand bedouin from six tribes live in or around the protectorate.

Recent development pressure, catalysed by tourism, has resulted in the natural resource base of this fragile region being overexploited. An integrated management plan is under development to conserve the area’s natural and cultural heritage, and ensure community participation while expanding opportunities for sustainable tourism. Local community guards now enforce a conservation ethic in one of Egypt’s most spectacular and fragile regions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd.