Al-Hasa lagoons (8264)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Al-Hasa lagoons
Central coordinates: Latitude: 25.5300, Longitude: 50.0000
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 120 to 120
Area of KBA (km2): 101.86667
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A long, narrow, man-made river, the only large-scale freshwater habitat in the Eastern Province, running east-south-east from Hofuf and Abqaiq towards al-'Uqair. It is formed by run-off from al-Hasa oasis and sewage effluent from Hofuf, Abqaiq and numerous small towns, and frequently disappears under sand-dunes, to surface again a few kilometres further on. There are numerous pools of up to c.250 ha, often surrounded by large reedbeds. The rest of the area consists of sandy gravel plain and sand-dunes interspersed with sabkhahs and aeolian sand-fields.
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. There is little information on the site at present. Other breeding species include Ixobrychus minutus (possible, in low numbers), Tadorna ferruginea (possible), Cursorius cursor, Acrocephalus melanopogon (only Saudi Arabian breeding site) and Locustella luscinioides (probable). Large numbers of wintering and migrating waterbirds have been observed during several aerial surveys: Ardea cinerea (50-60), Egretta garzetta (100), 10,000-15,000 ducks including Tadorna ferruginea (50), Grus grus (22), and small flocks of Philomachus pugnax and Limosa limosa. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): Two areas of lagoons (surface water seepage) are apparent, east of Hofuf, rather than the one listed in IBA description; coordinates moved to centre of nearest polygon.
Habitats
Land use: hunting | tourism/recreation | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Aquatic | 50 | |
| Desert | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Some of the pools are reasonably well protected through their inaccessibility, being surrounded by sabkhah and sand-dunes, but many are regularly disturbed by hunters and sport-shooters and the area is widely used for recreation by people from the al-Hasa region at weekends. An increasing demand for waste-water is reducing the amount of run-off and the watercourse is often diverted for agriculture or for development projects. The site is proposed as a Special Nature Reserve, Biological Reserve and Resource Use Reserve in the NCWCD System Plan for Protected Areas.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |