La première phase consiste à identifier les ménages intéressés et à les sensibiliser à l'importance de la restauration des paysages forestiers, en collaboration avec des agents et experts forestiers locaux.

Ses objectifs spécifiques sont :

• Sensibiliser la communauté aux enjeux de la restauration, aux lois sur la propriété et l’usage des arbres, et aux avantages à long terme. Des sessions ouvertes au village expliquent les objectifs du projet, l’approche PPR, ses étapes et les bénéfices attendus (fertilité des sols, réduction de l’érosion, diversification des revenus).

   

• Identifier les ménages volontaires pour participer au PPR. Après les séances, les ménages prêts à s'engager et à élaborer leur propre plan sont enregistrés selon des critères tels que disponibilité des terres, motivation et capacité à investir.

   

• Mettre en place une équipe de facilitation (coopératives, agents de terrain, groupes villageois) pour accompagner les ménages. Elle peut inclure des planteurs relais, des membres de groupes locaux et des agents forestiers.

   

• Réaliser des visites de parcelles et collecter des données de base via une enquête structurée afin de comprendre les besoins et capacités des ménages. La collecte se fait par entretiens, questionnaires ou observations de terrain.

Jabal Shada has been proposed as a candidate bioclimatic refugia under the UNESCO framework, recognizing its exceptional role as a refuge for mountain biodiversity and its importance for understanding climate resilience in the Arabian Peninsula. Jabal Shada has been highlighted in regional IPA assessments and national IPA screening (CMEP / Plantlife IPA work) as a provisional Important Plant Area because of its high species richness, relict and range-restricted species and role as a montane refuge. The site supports 63 endemic plant species that are Afrotropical relicts. The site is therefore a priority for in-situ plant conservation and monitoring. Plant species endemic to Jabal Shada include Tarenna graveolens subsp. arabica and Euphorbia sp. Aff. Parciramulosa.

A regular biodiversity monitoring program for vegetation assessment, targeted plant species monitoring, camera-trap surveys for medium/large mammals, and ecosystem health indicators — was established to track outcomes and allow adaptive actions. The management plan places monitoring at the core of decision-making. 

Conservation measures were designed and implemented in close coordination with local communities. Interventions included the rehabilitation of ancient stone-walled agricultural terraces and the revitalization of traditional cultivation systems, including coffee and fruit orchards. Additional actions involved improving agricultural practices, providing technical assistance and supporting and promoting Shadawi coffee (a long-standing local crop), along with market facilitation, collectively strengthening local livelihoods while reducing damaging land-use practices.

Botanical inventories (field surveys and literature synthesis) established the species checklist (c. 493 spp. Of plants) and identified candidate Bioclimatic microrefugia and priority plant assemblages for protection and monitoring. Faunal surveys involving different taxa have also been conducted to build an integrated monitoring program. The protected area is also rich in endemic avian species. Out of 17 listed species, 7 species rare Arabian endemic birds. Large flocks of the endemic Arabian waxbill Estrilda rufibarba have been recorded around settlements and coffee fields. A total of 1408 invertebrate species have been reported from Jabal Shada which includes 45 endemic specie

Jabal Shada was declared a Special Nature Reserve (IUCN Category Ia) in 2002, following a reconnaissance survey conducted in 2001 by the former National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD). After establishment of the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), a new management plan was developed (meant to be updated after every 5 years) which integrates biodiversity protection with local livelihoods supporting Shadawi coffee cultivation, community-based development, ecotourism, and regular biodiversity monitoring to ensure long-term conservation of this unique mountain ecosystem. Jabal Shada was also registered on the world database of protected areas (WDPA).

Ecotourism plan was prepared to regulate the pressure of tourism on the pristine habitats of the Protected area.