Sabkhat al-Fasl lagoons (8261)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Sabkhat al-Fasl lagoons
Central coordinates: Latitude: 27.0667, Longitude: 49.4917
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 5 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 33.5229
Protected area coverage (%): 13.29
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Evaporation lagoons on the south-west border of Jubail Industrial City. The site consists of a large sabkhah area surrounded by landfill and divided up by sand dams, fed by excess treated organic waste-water which produces a large biomass of microflora and -fauna. The water is very shallow (0-30 cm) and is influenced by wind, creating a tidal effect as wind direction changes. Rainwater is a secondary source of water; after heavy winter rains the water surface can be more than doubled, occasionally reaching 2,500 ha. Water is fed into the site only from October to May, and the lagoons can dry out from the end of July, but in years with good rains a water area of c.100-150 ha remains all summer. Three large concrete reservoirs (c.100 ha) are included in the site. These, and some parts of the edge of the sabkhah, are vegetated with reedbeds Phragmites and Tamarix scrub.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. Other breeding species include Phoenicopterus ruber (unsuccessful attempts) and Acrocephalus scirpaceus (suspected). Other wintering species include Phoenicopterus ruber (1,200) and more than 5,000 ducks, including Anas penelope, A. strepera, A. crecca, A. platyrhynchos, A. acuta and A. clypeata. The site is used by large numbers of waders on passage (see box), including Calidris alba (657, April-May) and Tringa stagnatilis (184, August-October), and Falco peregrinus is a regular passage migrant (max. seasonal total 20) and winter visitor (daily max. 1-3). Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): Relatively straightforward to digitize, based on paper maps in BirdLife files; coordinates shifted to centre of polygon.
Habitats
Land use: hunting | water management (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Aquatic | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: In the planning of Jubail Industrial City this area was mapped as a permanent buffer zone between the industrial and urban zones, and was included in the NCWCD System Plan for Protected Areas as part of a larger coastal reserve. At present it is a core area in the proposed Natural Reserve of Dawhat ad-Dafi and Dawhat al-Musallamiyah: the site had great value as a refuge for small waders (Charadrius and Calidris) after the oil pollution of adjacent intertidal areas during the 1991 Gulf War oil spills, and it is well placed for utilization in educational projects on the importance of the Gulf for waterfowl and on the importance of man-made wetlands. Declaration and establishment of the reserve are proceeding. As a man-made site the lagoons may be only temporary and are threatened by changes to their water supply. The effluent of the water treatment plant is normally used to irrigate urban plantations, and only the excess is fed into the site for evaporation, but the continuing expansion of Jubail city may mean that no excess water is available in the near future. Deliberate persecution of birds and falcon-trapping occur regularly.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Evans and Keijl (1993a,b).