Autodesk Water
Connecting Waterpeople
Autodesk Water Webinar Series returns: 10 Oct, 15:30 CEST

You are here

Sudan names Khor Abu Habil Inner Delta as its fourth Wetland of International Importance

  • Sudan names Khor Abu Habil Inner Delta as its fourth Wetland of International Importance
    Khor Abu Habil Inner Delta. Credit: Alizée Chiappini & Camille Barbé, 2020

About the entity

Ramsar
The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Sudan has designated its fourth “Ramsar Site”: Khor Abu Habil Inner Delta (Site no.2485) is an inland wetland with an area of almost 950,000 hectares, located 400 kilometres south-west of Khartoum.

The Site is the only one of the three alluvial fans in the country that remains in a seemingly natural state; the others have been reclaimed for agriculture. A typical characteristic of this Site is its hundreds of temporary pools or “mayas” that appear amid the dunes during the flooding of the River (Khor) Abu Habil between July and October.

It is an important Site for migratory waterbirds, hosting seven threatened species including the critically endangered Rueppell’s vulture(Gyps rueppellii) and sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius).

The forest remnants of the Site are a source of products such as balanite oil and tebeldi juice from baobab trees, Arabic gum from acacia, fodder, medicinal plants, and fuel wood for the hundreds of villages in and around the Site. These communities practise artisanal fishing, agriculture, hunting, and nomadic livestock rearing.

While the impact of communities’ dependence on the Site’s resources is unknown, household sewage, urban wastewater, agricultural effluents and droughts are significant threats affecting its ecological character. The Site is yet to benefit from a management plan and a national legal conservation status.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Topics of interest

The data provided will be treated by iAgua Conocimiento, SL for the purpose of sending emails with updated information and occasionally on products and / or services of interest. For this we need you to check the following box to grant your consent. Remember that at any time you can exercise your rights of access, rectification and elimination of this data. You can consult all the additional and detailed information about Data Protection.

Featured news