Dibru - Saikhowa Complex (18075)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Dibru - Saikhowa Complex
Central coordinates: Latitude: 27.7279, Longitude: 95.3597
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Area of KBA (km2): 1000.86355
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This complex covers Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Poba Reserve Forest, Kobo chapori (river islands) proposed reserve forest, Amarpur chapori, Maguri and Motapung beel (lake), and the adjacent riverine tract of the Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers. The Dibru-Saikhowa NP proper covers 34,000 ha in the districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh in eastern Assam. It is 13 km north of Tinsukia town. It is also a Biosphere Reserve. The area is known as a major haunt of the globally threatened White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata, Black-breasted Parrotbill Paradoxornis flavirostris and Marsh Babbler Pellorneum palustre. In 1986, the Government of Assam declared Dibru and Saikhowa Reserve Forests as Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, covering 64,000 ha which also included Amarpur chapori and the adjacent riverine tract of the Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers. Subsequently, the area was upgraded to a national park. However, at the time of final notification as a sanctuary and as well as a national park, only the reserve forest areas were included. Maguri and Motapung beels in Tinsukia district, although very important for the conservation of waterfowl, are outside. Similarly, Poba and Kobo, important biodiversity sites, are located north of the Park and are in Dhemaji disrict. We have included all these adjacent sites in one site. Dibru-Saikhowa has the largest salix swamp forest in northeastern India. Tropical Moist Deciduous, Tropical Semi-evergreen, Evergreen Forests and grassland forms the main habitat type. The original vegetation of the Park was tropical rainforest, but a large part sank by a few meters during the earthquake in 1950, causing significant geomorphological changes. Due to regular flooding, the rainforest gradually gave way to deciduous forest and swamps (Choudhury 1998). The relatively remote Amarpur area, on the northern side of the Brahmaputra river, not included in the Park but is a part of the wider Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve, has significant areas of tall grass, which are largely absent in the other areas of the Park. The Amarpur peninsula within the Biosphere Reserve covers about 3,000 ha. It is generally low-lying and much of it is flooded during the monsoon season (Allen 2002). MAIN THREATS: Logging; Erosion; Poisoning of waterbodies; Cattle grazing; Disturbance to birds; Firewood collection. The main conservation issue is diversion of a channel of the Lohit river through Ananta nullah, a small channel in early 1990s. This has resulted in widening of the latter channel into a wide river, which ultimately made the National Park an island. Large areas have been eroded in the process. The next major issue is the presence of two large forest villages inside the Park. Most of the forests have been heavily exploited for timber, and very little dense forest remains. Fishing activities cause a considerable amount of disturbance, and there is heavy grazing pressure from domestic livestock. The peripheral areas are being reclaimed for agriculture, and there has been considerable encroachment by the forest villagers. A large portion of the area is under threat because of a natural shift in the course of the Brahmaputra river. Local people use chemical pesticides for fishing in the Park as well as Maguri and Motapung beels, which kills large number of life forms. Encroachment in Kobo chapori has taken alarming proportion.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site holds the entire known population of Philautus microdiscus. Six reptiles and 21 birds meet legacy KBA criteria and are in need of reassessment against the Global Standard.
Manageability of the site: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2004, and access to the original manageability rationale is no longer available.
Delineation rationale: This site was identified as an IBA/KBA in 2004, and access to the original delineation rationale is no longer available.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Only in the future | |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (unknown use) | Ongoing |