Hindiya Barrage (8039)
Iraq, Middle East

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2015

National site name: Hindiya Barrage

Central coordinates: Latitude: 32.7333, Longitude: 44.2667

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 32 to 50

Area of KBA (km²): 2.78041

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: A barrage on the River Euphrates c.5 km south of Al Musayyib and c.65 km south of Baghdad. In 1934 there were a few marshy spots and pools near the river, with Salix patches, extensive fruit and vegetable gardens and date-palm groves, and further away open irrigated land with corn and scrub. .

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: There is little information from the site since the 1930s. Other breeding species included Podiceps nigricollis, Circus aeruginosus (common), Porphyrio porphyrio (common), Glareola pratincola, Cursorius cursor, Vanellus leucurus (common), Larus genei, Sterna hirundo (large colonies) and Halcyon smyrnensis (abundant). Calidris minuta occurred in large numbers on passage. Non-bird biodiversity: No information available to BirdLife International. 2014 updates. Additional Important Bird Observation: During the survey, 28 bird species were observed. In addition to those listed in the table above, the site supported two breeding Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species but these did not trigger inclusion under the A3 criterion. The endemic race of Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis and endemic race of Hooded Crow Corvus cornix capellanus (also known as Mesopotamian Crow) breed at the site. Hunters and locals reported that Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris breeds. Other Important Fauna: No observations were made at this site but local reports suggested the presence of wild cats and foxes (species could not be distinguished).There was no fish survey, but fishermen report the presence of the introduced species Tilapia zillii.

Delineation rationale: 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 6390 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (6400 ha).

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: 2014 updates. An original IBA site (IBA019) listed by Evans (1994), this site consists of a network of waterways centered on the Euphrates River and created by the Hindiya Barrage, originally built in the early 1900s.Upstream of the barrage are several branching canals/rivers, chiefly the main stem of the Euphrates and the Shatt Al-Hilla rivers, which are surrounded by marshes. Large numbers of waterfowl and various species of gulls were observed in this area. Hunting and fishing close to the barrage regulator are prohibited and entry to the dam area is restricted by police, which has protected the large assemblage of waterfowl. The site is surrounded by dense palm orchards and a few open agricultural areas. The geology of the area is Mesopotamian alluvium, mainly silts and the habitats include marsh reed beds of Phragmites australis and Typha dominguensis; rooted submerged vegetation and riparian vegetation, as well as shrub woodlands.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Artificial - Terrestrial	33
Wetlands(Inland)	33
Artificial - Aquatic	33

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No conservation measures are known to have been taken. There is no information on current threats to the site, though its habitats have presumably suffered badly from the decreasing flow of the Euphrates since the 1970s (see site 039). No conservation measures are known to have been proposed. 2014 updates. Human activities including farming were ranked as a ‘very high’ threat. Movement of the locals close to the regulator itself is prohibited, but these activities outside this zone (but still inside the delineated KBA) are a significant threat to the site. Five threats were ranked ‘high’: the expansion of agriculture that has turned the dry areas into farms and orchards; urban expansion from Hindiya city, transportation and roads development on both sides of the river, hunting and fishing within the river, and Pollution. Also, continuous accumulation of floating trash and plastic carried by the flow of the river. This accumulates behind a boom fixed across the river to prevent garbage and other objects from entering the regulator. An additional threat comes from the invasive fish Tilapia zilli and its potential effects on the biodiversity of the river and its fish assemblage.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing

Additional information

References: Moore and Boswell (1956-1957), Ticehurst et al. (1921-1922, 1926). Evans, M.I. (1994). Important Bird Areas in the Middle East. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. Birdlife Conservation Series No. 2.