Anah and Rawa (8026)
Iraq, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Anah and Rawa
Central coordinates: Latitude: 34.5333, Longitude: 41.9167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 35 to 180
Area of KBA (km2): 171.41864
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site covers the area surrounding the villages of Anah and Rawa, lying in the narrow Euphrates valley c.240 km north-west of Baghdad, and includes the river itself. The region is stony desert on limestones and sandstones with much bare rock, sparsely vegetated with mostly spiny herbs. The river plain is sandy and silty, and there is some cultivation (dense date-palm groves with undergrowth, and cotton fields. There are flat, sandy islands in the river.
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 for key species. The breeding avifauna also includes Tadorna ferruginea, Cursorius cursor, Halcyon smyrnensis, Merops superciliosus and Pycnonotus leucotis. Non-bird biodiversity: Reptiles: the desert has a rich reptile fauna.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No conservation measures are known to have been taken. In recent years dams on the Euphrates in Turkey and Syria have caused considerable fluctuations in the water level, with consequent negative effects on the alluvial habitats. No conservation measures are known to have been proposed.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |