Arbowerow (6874)
Somalia, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Arbowerow
Central coordinates: Latitude: 1.6000, Longitude: 44.0833
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 10 to 50
0
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Arbowerow Nature Reserve, also known as Alifuuto, is situated in central-southern Somalia on the lower reaches of the Shabeelle river, north of the town of Baraawe. The vegetation consists primarily of Acacia–Commiphora bushland and thicket, but the reserve contains significant areas of swamp and riverine habitat on the flood-plain of the Shabeelle, extending to a width of 25 km.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. Of the Somali–Masai biome species that occur, Mirafra hypermetra, Macronyx aurantiigula and Turdus tephronotus have been recorded from few other IBAs in Somalia. Although there have been no counts, it is believed that the numbers of waterbirds, particularly of Palearctic waders during the northern winter, exceed the 20,000 threshold. On the banks of the Shabeelle within the site is a mixed breeding colony of Phalacrocorax africanus, P. carbo, Ardea melanocephala and Casmerodius albus, with c.100 pairs of each. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals which occur, or used to do so, include Loxodonta africana (EN), Oryx beisa (LR/cd), Tragelaphus imberbis (LR/cd), Kobus ellipsiprymnus (LR/cd), Litocranius walleri (LR/cd), Ourebia ourebi (LR/cd) and Damaliscus lunatus (LR/cd).
Delineation rationale: 2011-06-16 (BL Secretariat): site area updated from 0 to 180,000 ha, based on the area of the relevant protected area (Alifuuto Nature Reserve) in WDPA.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site has been proposed as a National Park. Large parts of the surrounding area have been converted to agriculture, a threat which is particularly significant for the remaining riverine vegetation.