Lessons learned from the application of Management Effectiveness Evaluation in Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve: Implications for conservation in Kuwait

The main objective of this research is to apply the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MME) assessment for Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve in the State of Kuwait. During this research, scheduled program has been developed to visit the protected area, in order to identify the current situation. The analyses were done according to the methodology of IUCN. Management effectiveness reflects three main themes in protected area management, these themes are: 1. design issues relating to both individual sites and protected area system (context, planning); 2. adequacy and appropriateness of management system processes (input, process assessment); 3. and delivery of protected area objectives including conservation of values (outputs, outcomes assessment). The assessment revealed that the management in Sabah Al Ahmad Natural Reserve, failed in the achievement of the specific strategic objective as a national park. The failure of achievement of the target is mainly due to the absence of policies or practices related to the application of multi-criteria approach. It is recommended to ensure the application of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation as a multi-criteria assessment technique for the better management based on actual evaluation of the state of management and types of policies and planning in the reserve. Keywords: Management effectiveness, Natural reserve, Environmental policies, Protected area, Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserv