Charakla Saltworks (18131)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Charakla Saltworks
Central coordinates: Latitude: 22.3458, Longitude: 68.9672
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 82.4323
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Charakla Saltworks is located near Okhamandal in Jamnagar district. The area is bound by the Gulf of Kutch coast on the north and spreads to the Arabian sea coast down south. Sea water is pumped in form the Gulf of Kutch and allowed to flow through a series of shallow ponds to enable the process of evaporation for the production of salt. These salt pans attracts tens of thousands of waterbirds. The area features four types of habitats: the saltpans, mangroves, thorny scrub in the surrounding area, and saline wastelands.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: About 120 species of birds have been identified in this IBA (Vivek Talwar and Satish H. Trivedi pers. comm. 2003). There are reports of more than 300 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis seen in some winters, perhaps the largest known population in India. The Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus is known to breed in the area - another confirmed site where this bird breeds is Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary in the same district. Sometimes large flocks consisting of up to 300 to 400 individuals of Rosy Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, and Dalmatian Pelican P. crispus are seen. Both species of flamingos – the Greater Phoenicopterus ruber and the Lesser P. minor - are seen in thousands. Despite the presence of these large spectacular birds, the site is famous for its multitude flocks of smaller waders such as stints, sandpipers, plovers, curlews and godwits. Some species occur in much greater numbers than their 1% population threshold determined by Wetlands International (2002). Thirty species of small waders are reported from this area – the list is too long to include here. Among gulls, Herring Larus argentatus, Lesser Black-backed L. fuscus, Great Black-headed L. ichthyaetus, Brown-headed L. brunnicephalus, Black-headed L. ridibundus and Slender-billed L. genei are found. Terns are represented by Sandwich Sterna sandvicensis, Large Crested S. bergii, Little S. albifrons, Blackshafted Sterna saundersi, Gull-billed Gelochelidon nilotica and Caspian Hydroprogne caspia. The Caspian Tern breeds in this area (Sudershan Rodriquez pers. comm. 2004). This site is selected on the basis of A1 (Threatened Species), A4i (= 1% of biogeographic populations of many species) and A4iii (presence of = 20,000 waterbirds). OTHER KEY FAUNA: Not available.
Delineation rationale: 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 8243 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (8200 ha).
Habitats
Land use: not utilised | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 20 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 20 | |
| Artificial - Aquatic | 40 | |
| Shrubland | 20 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Fishing by local community in the area; Stray incidents of poaching; Mortality of flamingos due to collision with the power lines. The Okhamandal region is one of the most drought prone regions of our country. Almost every alternate year is a drought year resulting in fodder scarcity. The locals indulge in collection of mangrove foliage for feeding their cattle. Camel grazing in the mangrove zone is also rampant. These anthropogenic pressures including collection of fuel wood have resulted in the degradation of the mangrove vegetation and added to the pressures on the nesting of the local birds.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Wetlands International (2002). Waterbird Population Estimates – Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12, Wageningen, The Netherlands.