Emirates bird habitats under threat from development

19/07/2011 12:33:37 Annual Waterbirds Census reveals that 4 of the 6 most frequented wetlands by waterbirds face highest development pressures

July 2011. The annual census to count waterbirds in the United Arab Emirates, which was undertaken by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and its partners this year, showed that 4 of the 6 of the most frequented wetlands by waterbirds (Bul Syayeef, Khor Beidah, Khor al-Khawair and Ra's al-Khor) are currently facing high development pressures.

The Annual Waterbirds Census is a tool to monitor the number of birds in the country. The census is necessary for the conservation of wetland habitats and species and is in line with the UAE's commitment to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Moreover, such censuses serve as an early alarm signal about the performance of the country's ecosystems and help the Government to identify sensitive areas along the coastline which need further protection.

Irreversible loss of habitat
"This year's census revealed that 4 of the 6 of the most frequented wetlands by waterbirds (Bul Syayeef, Khor Beidah, Khor al-Khawair and Ra's al-Khor) are currently facing the highest development pressures. These important sites have already suffered irreversible loss of habitats and need to be included within protected areas. This will help ensure a greater balance between development and conservation," said Dr. Salim Javed, Manager, Biodiversity Assessment & Monitoring at EAD and national coordinator for the census.

Bird numbers doubled
"We believe that the number of waterbirds doubled this year, compared to last year, as a result of having more observers and covering more sites. This indicates that a critical success factor for this census is the cooperation of all the partners. We are proud to see that all our partners are fully committed to the long-term continuity of the census every year," Dr. Javed said.

22,000 Greater flamingo
"This year's census also found the Greater flamingo to be the most common species with nearly 22,000 individuals, followed by nearly 19,000 socotra cormorants, nearly 17,000 common black-headed gulls, more than 9000 little stints and more than 5,000 dunlins. We visited 47 sites in 2011 and covered all the seven emirates. 21 were in Abu Dhabi, 7 in Dubai, 9 in Fujairah, 3 in Sharjah, 2 in Ajman, 4 in Ra's al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Bul Syayeef in Abu Dhabi, Khor al-Beida in Umm al-Qaiwain, Khor al-Khuwair in Ra's al-Khaimah, Ra's al- Khor in Dubai and Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi were the five most important sites in terms of total numbers of birds, accounting for nearly 62% of all the birds counted during 2011," said Dr. Christophe Tourenq, science and research manager at EWS-WWF.

"This is the second year that we join our partners and we are proud to see that the number of sites being covered is increasing and that more volunteers are being involved. Every year, we gain even more experience and learn more about our nation's ecological system," said Maral Khaled Shuriqi, Geologist, Environment Protection and Development Department, Fujairah Municipality.

International Waterbird Census
Around the world, the International Waterbird Census covers waterbirds in Africa; Asia; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; and South America. Over 100 countries participated in the International Waterbird Census in the 1990s and over 30 million waterbirds were counted in participating countries each year. The results of the International Waterbird Census have been used in the designation of nearly half of the 1,369 Wetlands of International Importance in 138 countries designated under the Ramsar Convention. The International Waterbird Census also provides strategic input to the activities of partner organizations, particularly the Red Data Book of IUCN, and Birdlife International's Important Bird Areas (IBA) programme, and to the development of Waterbird Species Action Plans.

The 2011 census, led by EAD, was undertaken by 23 recorders from six different government and non-government organizations. These include Emirates Wildlife Society in association with World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF), Emirates Bird Records Committee (EBRC), Higher Colleges of Technology-Fujairah and Fujairah Municipality. The two-day count covered 47 sites across the country and accounted for nearly 95,000 waterbirds. During the census, 98 species of waterbirds from a list of nearly 150 waterbirds were recorded.

Socotra cormorants near Bu Tinah Island - Photo credit Salim Javed