Protected Areas and World Heritage Programme

Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories

HALEJI LAKE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, Pakistan

National designation Haleji Lake was created a wildlife sanctuary in 1977 under the Sind Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1972. It comprises 1704ha of lake, surrounded by a legally notified buffer zone of 5km radius. Land is owned by the provincial government of Sind.

Legal basis of management As a wildlife sanctuary under the Sind Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1972, Haleji provides an undisturbed breeding ground for waterfowl. The primary objective is to protect wildlife including all natural resources, such as soil, water and vegetation. Access to the public or livestock, residence, damage to plants or animals, and pollution of water are prohibited. Certain activities may be authorised by the provincial government for scientific or aesthetic purposes.

In situ management objectives are to protect the habitat for resident and migratory birds, particularly waterfowl, and to provide facilities for naturalists and the public to study and enjoy the wildlife. The lake is dredged occasionally to keep the main channel free from silt, and the extensive reed beds are cut annually. Uncontrolled growth of certain waterweeds is a management problem.

Geography Haleji is a freshwater lake, with associated marshes and adjacent brackish seepage lagoons, set in a stony desert of limestone and sandstone bedrock. It was converted in the 1930s from a saline lagoon, formed by seasonal rainwater collecting in a shallow depression, to a reservoir to provide an additional water supply for Karachi. It is now fed by a canal from Kinjhar Lake.

Nature conservation values The lake supports an abundance of aquatic vegetation and provides breeding and wintering grounds for a variety of waterfowl. Maximum counts of wintering birds have exceeded 100,000. Some 222 species of birds have been recorded from Haleji and its immediate vicinity.

Cultural and social values The lake supplies Karachi with freshwater for about 15 days each year when Kinjhar is being maintained. There are four small villages and several nomadic settlements within the buffer zone. The sanctuary provides excellent opportunities for conservation, education and research. Visitor facilities include an information centre and observation tower.

Reasons for classification as IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) Haleji and its surrounding seepage lagoons are protected as important staging and wintering grounds for waterfowl. Active intervention is necessary to keep water channels clear and to maintain the habitat suitable for waterfowl.

National designation The Northern Wildlife Management Area, occupying 15,000,000ha of government-owned land, includes three protected areas: Harrat al Harrah and Al Khunfah designated in 1987, and At Tubayq added in 1989.

Legal basis of management Royal Decree No. M/22 of June 1986 provides the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development with a remit to conserve wildlife, and to establish and manage protected areas in accordance with the laws of Saudi Arabia. The Northern Wildlife Management Area is established within this legal mandate of the Commission.

In situ management objectives are the exclusion of hunting and grazing to allow rehabilitation of the flora and fauna, and the reintroduction of extirpated and depleted species. Active steps are taken to improve the habitat, through irrigation, tree planting and other measures, for the benefit of wildlife populations. A programme of management-oriented ecological research is underway, including an in-depth study of houbara bustard. The Bedouin are permitted to reside with their livestock in a peripheral controlled zone, but elsewhere settlement and pastoralism are banned. All hunting, including traditional forms, tree felling and land use conflicting with conservation objectives are prohibited. Tourism is not permitted at present, but will be an option once the necessary facilities have been developed.

Geography The site lies in north-west Saudi Arabia, near the Jordanian border. It is an undulating basaltic plateau of desert steppe and volcanic rock jebels, about 850m above sea level. Land forms include volcanic hills and craters, lava flows, sands and playas.

Nature conservation values A beautiful area of harsh but spectacular desert, the major biotype in Saudi Arabia, the Northern Wildlife Management Area contains examples of seven vegetation types. The site is chiefly of interest for its larger fauna, including significant populations of sand gazelle, Nubian ibex and houbara bustard. Mountain gazelle, striped hyaena, Rüppell's sand fox, grey wolf, and lappet-faced vulture are also present. The area was formerly part of the range of Arabian oryx, ostrich and cheetah. Plans to re-establishment the original fauna are underway.

Cultural and social values The Northern Wildlife Management Area was traditionally used by the local Bedouin for grazing their domestic livestock, but this practice has since been discontinued in 88% of the area to facilitate recovery of the natural vegetation. The remaining 12% represents a controlled area which is still occupied by Bedouin pastoralists.

Reasons for classification as IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) The large and remote Northern Wildlife Management Area is representative of a variety of desert habitats, and associated flora and fauna. Management is aimed primarily at protecting the habitat, re-establishing the original fauna and eliminating habitat damage by domestic livestock. Active measures are taken to improve the habitat.

National designation The Selous was established as a 5,000,000ha game reserve in 1922. Land is owned by the government.

Legal basis of management The enabling legislation is the Wildlife Conservation Act, 1974, which provides for the protection, conservation and utilisation of wildlife within game reserves. Access, utilisation of wildlife (including hunting), and grazing of livestock is subject to authorisation by the Director.

In situ management A comprehensive conservation policy and management plan was prepared in 1990. There is a scientifically-based fire management policy, although its implementation has been sporadic in recent years. The main focus of management activity is anti-poaching. The Selous lost an estimated 70% of its elephant population between 1980 and 1990, and the black rhinoceros was nearly driven to extinction. Other activities include an ecological monitoring and research programme on which hunting quotas are based. The main use of the reserve is for sport hunting, which is permitted under license in all but three of the 45 management blocks.

Geography Situated in southern Tanzania, the reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa. It is part of the Selous ecosystem which includes the contiguous Mikumi National Park and Kilombero Game Controlled Area. A large portion of the reserve is drained by the Rufiji River and tributaries. Altitude ranges from 100m to 1200m.

Nature conservation values The Selous contains the largest and best example in the world of miombo woodland, which is probably a product of past human activity since it is a fire-dependent climax formation. The other main vegetation type is wooded Terminalia grassland. The reserve harbours sizeable populations of many large animals, including the largest concentrations in the world of elephant, hippopotamus, and crocodile. The Selous has remained relatively undisturbed in the past 70 years due to its isolation from roads and railways, and infestation by tsetse fly.

Cultural and social values The local inhabitants were evacuated when the reserve was created, since when human activity has been minimal. There are some tourist facilities, but visitor numbers are severely limited by the reserve's inaccessibility.

Reasons for classification as IV (Habitat/Species Management Area) The Selous protects the world's most important area of miombo woodland. This habitat can only be maintained under a particular burning regime, and its preservation requires an active fire-management programme. The reserve is vast and supports large faunal populations, including significant numbers of many threatened species.

Lüeneburger Heide in Lower Saxony is among the best remaining examples of lowland heath in western Europe, one of the most threatened human-modified ecosystems. The reserve consists of 19,720ha of human-modified landscape, believed to have originated about five thousand years ago. Lüeneburger Heide is protected under the Nature Conservation Ordinance, 1921. Activities that could alter or eliminate heath are prohibited. Much of the land has been privately acquired by the nature conservation society, Verein Naturschutzpark, which manages the site. Local groups and the public are actively involved in management. The heathland is actively maintained by a comprehensive system of controlled grazing, use of chemicals and scything. Fire is not used as a management tool because it would damage the juniper. The reserve is zoned to minimise ecological damage, by containing the annual three million visitors to 14% of the site, and to maintain the seral vegetation communities.

Stavns Fjord is a 16,320ha bird reserve established by Ministerial Order in 1984, under the Hunting and Wildlife Adminstration Act, 1967, to conserve the avifauna and marine environment. Lying in the northeast of Samso, the area is an important resting and feeding area for waterfowl, and one of Europe's most important breeding areas for eider duck. The legislation provides for the preservation of the wildlife, including migratory species, and for enforcement by the management authorities to control hunting, access and traffic movements. Small-scale farming and livestock grazing is permitted on a few of the islands. Full compensation is payable for any restrictions in ownership. The reserve is zoned. Public access to certain areas is restricted during the bird breeding season. Active intervention to improve the habitat is undertaken to increase the nesting bird population.