Dawhat Kazima (8204)
Kuwait, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Dawhat Kazima
Central coordinates: Latitude: 29.3833, Longitude: 47.7833
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 22.29788
Protected area coverage (%): 10.85
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow, relatively well-sheltered bay, part of the larger Kuwait Bay system, with extensive intertidal mudflats (c.890 ha). The site is important for economically valuable shrimp nurseries, and supports both recreational and traditional fishing with fixed traps (hadra). A close season operates for shrimp catching.
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: The site is important for coastal waterfowl during winter and on passage, including Ardea cinerea (62, January) and Recurvirostra avosetta (70, January). Mixed-species flocks of several thousand waterfowl occur during migration seasons but accurate counts of species and individuals have not been made. At least 66 species have been recorded. Non-bird biodiversity: Invertebrates: the crab Cleistostoma kuwaitense (endemic).
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 50 | |
| Marine Neritic | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There are no serious threats at present: some local oil pollution occurs from power stations on Doha peninsula, and toxic outflow from Jahra Pool destroyed extensive stands of Salicornia in early 1980s. The site has been inaccessible since the 1990–1991 Iraqi occupation because of unexploded ordnance, which gives some de facto protection from human disturbance.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Nomadic grazing | Ongoing |