informe medio ambiente en libia 2011 del iucn

8/2/2019 Informe Medio Ambiente en Libia 2011 Del IUCN

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Towards a Representative Networkof Marine Protected Areas in Libya


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ABOUT IUCN

IUCN, International Union or Conservation o Nature, helps the

world nd pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment

and development challenges.

IUCN wors on biodiversit, climate change, energ, human

livelihoods and greening the world econom b supporting

scientic research, managing eld projects all over the world, and

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develop polic, laws and best practice.

IUCN is the worlds oldest and largest global environmental

organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members

and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries.

IUCNs wor is supported b over 1,000 sta in 60 oces and

hundreds o partners in public, NGO and private sectors around

the world.

www.iucn.org


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Towards a Representative Networko Marine Protected Areas in Libya

July 2011

This report was prepared by Abdelmaula Hamza, Chedly Ras and Alain Jeudy de Grissac (IUCN)

with the support o Renaud Dupuy de la Grandrive, Mar Otero, Deborah Jouno Bernardon,

Jill Harry and Franois-Xavier Bouillon


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The designation o geographical entities in this boo,

and the presentation o the material, do not impl the

expression o an opinion whatsoever on the part o

IUCN, the Environment General Authorit o Liba,

the Spanish Agenc or International Cooperation and

Development (AECID), the Mava Foundation or the Total

Foundation concerning the legal status o an countr,

territor, or area, or o its authorities, or concerning the

delimitation o its rontiers or boundaries.

The views expressed in this publ icat ion do not

necessaril refect those o IUCN, the Environmental

General Authorit o Liba, the Spanish Agenc orInternational Development Cooperation (AECID), the

Mava Foundation or the Total Foundation.

This publication has been made possible in part b

unding rom the Spanish Agenc or International

Deve lopment Cooperat ion (AECID), the Mava

Foundation and the Total Foundation.

Published b:

IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Mlaga, Spain.

Copright: 2011 International Union or Conservation

o Nature and Natural Resources.

Reproduction o this publication or educational or

other non-commercial purposes is authorized without

prior written permission rom the copright holder

provided the source is ull acnowledged.

Reproduction o this publication or resale or other

commercial purposes is prohibited without prior writ ten

permission o the copright holder.

Citation:

IUCN (2011). Towards a Representative Network o

Marine Protected Areas in Libya. Gland, Switzerlandand Mlaga, Spain: IUCN. 68 pages.

Editing and laout:

Franois-Xavier Bouillon, F-06800 Cagnes-sur-Mer

Rereading and corrections:

Deadline SARL, F-06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Printing: Caractre SA, F-15002 Aurillac

ISBN:

978-2-8317-1386-1

Produced b:

IUCN Centre or Mediterranean Cooperation

Available rom:

IUCN Centre or Mediterranean Cooperation

C/ Marie Curie 22

29590 Campanillas, Malaga, Spain

Tel: +34 952 028430

Fax: +34 952 028145

http://www.iucn.org/mediterranean

Or

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(International Union or Conservation o Nature)

Publications Service

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www.iucn.org/publications

A catalogue o IUCN publications is also available at:

http://iucn.org/publications

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Cover pictures:

1 Oblada melanura (1877), Vincent Fossat (1822-1891). Coll. Musum dHisto ire naturelle de Nice.

2 Sterna bengalensis. RDG / RAC-SPA.

3 Vermeted trottoir near An Ghazala. MF / RAC-SPA.

4 Gul o Sirte. RDG / RAC-SPA.

5 Roc seabed o Barda island. Gul o Bumba. MF / RAC-SPA.

6 Posidonia oceanica meadows along sand and roc coast in western Tripoli. RDG / RAC-SPA.

7 Posidonia oceanica meadow near the UNESCO World Heritage site o Sabratha. RDG / RAC-SPA.

8 Satellite image (MODIS) o massive sandstorm covering most o Liba and the Central Mediterranean.

NASA www.visibleearth.nasa.gov

9 Fishermen in their foua. Gul o Bumba. RDG / RAC-SPA.

Photos (except as ma be stated otherwise):

Renaud Dupu de la Grandrive RDG / RAC-SPA,

Mathieu Foulqui MF / RAC-SPA.

www.miair-mieau.com

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This report was prepared within the ramewor o the MedRAS

Project (Mediterranean Representative Areas and Species),nanced b the MAVA and TOTAL Foundations, the SpanishAgenc or International Cooperation (AECID), and coordinated bthe IUCN Centre or Mediterranean Cooperation (Malaga, Spain).

The MedRAS project was implemented in its pilot phase in twosites, the Liban coastline and the Alboran Sea. The reports orLiba and the Alboran Sea will be produced separatel, but ollowthe same methodolog. In 2011 and 2012, the methodologdeveloped or MedRAS will be implemented in other sites in theMediterranean, within the ramewor o a new project unded bthe MAVA oundation and called NEREUS.

The strong coordination and cooperation between the EnvironmentGeneral Authorit o Liba (EGA), the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme oce in Liba (UNDP-Liba), the Regional ActivitCentre or Speciall Protected Areas o the Mediterranean ActionPlan (RAC/SPA-MAP-UNEP), the World Wide Fund or NatureMediterranean Project Oce (WWF-MedPO) and the Centreor Mediterranean Cooperation o the International Union orConservation o Nature (IUCN-Med) have been the e to thesuccess o this project. When closing the last technical meetingin June 2010, the head o EGA has recommended that thisdocument serve as the basis or development o marine and coastalconservation in Liba or all present and uture partners, including inparticular the Agreement or the Conservation o Cetaceans o theMediterranean and Blac Seas (ACCOBAMS), the Mediterranean

Wetland Initiative (MedWet) and the Networ o Managers o MarineProtected Areas in the Mediterranean (MedPAN).

FOREWORD

The Liban report contains a compilation o inormation rom national

and international experts and rom documentation available onmarine and coastal biodiversit in Liba. It proposes and describessites o conservation interest along the Liban coast.

A drat version o the report was prepared b Abdulmaula Hamza(General Environment Authorit, Liba) and Chedl Rais (Oianos, Tunisia). It was presented and reviewed during a consultationworshop convened b the General Environment Authorit o Liba(EGA) in Tripoli on June 15th and 16th, 2010, involving nationalexperts and representatives o the IUCN Med, WWF MedPO andUNDP Liba. The nal version was prepared at the end o 2010b Abdulmaula Hamza, Chedl Rais and Alain Jeud de Grissac. Additions and corrections were provided in the nal stagesb Renaud Dupu de la GrandRive, Mar Otero, Deborah Jouno

Bernardon, Jill Harr and Franois-Xavier Bouillon.


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LIsT OF ACRONyms

AECID Spanish Agenc or International Cooperation and Development

EGA Environment General Authorit o Liba

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation

GECOL General Electricit Compan

RAC/SPA Regional Activit Centre or Speciall Protected Areas

IUCN International Union or Conservation o Nature

MAP Mediterranean Action Plan

MedPAN Networ o Managers o Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean

MedRAS Mediterranean Representative Areas and Species

SMW Secretariat o Marine Wealth

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

WWF-MedPO World Wide Fund or Nature Mediterranean Project Oce


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INTRODUCTION .......................................................................9

THE MedRAS PROJECT ...........................................................9

1. The socio-economic context

o the marine and coastal environment

in Libya ...................................................... 11

1.1. FISHING AND FISHERIES ..................................................12

1.2. OIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ............................13

1.3. AGRICULTURE .................................................................16

1.4. INDUSTRy ........................................................................17

1.5. ELECTRICITy AND WATER DESALINATION.......................17

1.6. TOURISM .........................................................................18

2. General overview

o the marine and coastal environment

in Libya ...................................................... 19

2.1. GEOMORPHOLOGy OF THE COASTS .............................19

2.1.1. Ras Ajdir to Tripoli (180 m) ............................................. 19

2.1.2. Tripoli to Misuratah (220 m) ...........................................19

2.1.3. Misuratah to El-Magroon (680 m) ..................................20

2.1.4. El-Magroon to Tolmitah (190 m) .....................................20

2.1.5. Tolmitah to Ras Tin (250 m) ...........................................21

2.1.6. Ras Tin to Elba (90 m) ..................................................21

2.1.7. Elba to Bir Ramla (160 m) ..............................................22

2.2. OCEANOGRAPHy ...........................................................23

2.2.1. Currents .........................................................................23

2.2.2. Waves ...........................................................................23

2.2.3. Salinit ..........................................................................23

2.3. CLIMATE AND HyDROLOGy ............................................23

2.3.1. General climate conditions .............................................23

2.3.2. Temperature ..................................................................24

2.3.3. Precipitation ..................................................................24

2.4. MAIN BIODIVERSITy ELEMENTS

IN THE MARINE AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENTOF LIByA ..........................................................................25

3. Pressures and threats

to the marine and coastal environment

and biodiversity.......................................... 28

3.1. OVERFISHING ..................................................................28

3.2. INVASIVE SPECIES ...........................................................29

3.3. HABITAT ALTERATION, POLLUTION AND LAND USE .......30

3.4. LACk OF AWARENESS

OF CONSERVATION PRIORITIES ......................................30

3.5. CLIMATE CHANGE ..........................................................31

3.6. DROUGHT AND DESERTIFICATION..................................31

4. Legal and institutional aspects related

to biodiversity and marine and coastal

conservation in Libya .................................32

4.1. RELEVANT NATIONAL LEGISLATION ...............................32

4.2. INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONVENTIONS ..........33

4.3. GAPS ANALySIS

FOR THE PROPER SELECTION OF SITES ........................33

4.3.1 Dela in adopting a National Strateg on BiodiversitConservation and Action Plan (as o 2008) ......................33

4.3.2. Inadequate legal rameworson conservation issues ..................................................33

4.3.3. Lac o a comprehensive national studon the status o biodiversit............................................33

4.3.4. Coordination between national authorities ......................34

4.3.5. Governance o the protected areas sector ......................34

4.3.6. Lac o criteria or the selection o siteso conservation interest ..................................................34

Contents


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6.4. IDENTIFIED SITES OF CONSERVATION INTERESTTO INCLUDE IN THE LIByAN NETWORk OF MARINEAND COASTAL PROTECTED AREAS ................................39

1. Wadi Maseed ...............................................................40

2. Wadi Turghat ................................................................41

3. Ain Wadi kaam .............................................................42

4. Sebhet Qaser Ahmed-Taourgha Complex ....................43

5. Ain Taourgha ................................................................44

6. Sand beaches o Al Araar-Bouerat lahsoun ..................45

7. Al-Thalateen beach .......................................................46

8. Sand beaches o Bishr, Ajdabia and Zwuitina .............47

9. Garah islands group .....................................................48

10. Shat Elbadine .............................................................49

11. Al-Mtefa beach ...........................................................50

12. Sebhet Jeliana-Benghazi .......................................... 51

13. Ain Zaanah................................................................52

14. Tolmitah-Ugla roc coast ...........................................53

15. kou Beaches .............................................................54

16. Sebhet Ain Azzarga (Elzarga) .....................................55

17. Sebhet Ain Shaia (Ain Eshgaiga) ............................56

18. Wadi khalij ..................................................................57

19. Wadi Hamassah .........................................................58

20. Gul o Bumba ............................................................59

21. Abulrais beach ...........................................................60

22. Beaches north o Ain Al Ghazalah ...............................61

23. Beaches o Gurdaba ..................................................62

24. Gul o Burdia (Bardiah) ............................................63

Conclusion ....................................................65

Interesting reerences

and urther reading on Libya ..........................66

5. Conservation o the marine and coastal

environment in Libya:

present situation and uture challenges ......35

5.1. LIByAN SITES ALREADy DECLAREDAT NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL LEVELAS PROTECTED AREAS OR AREAS

OF CONSERVATION INTEREST ........................................35

5.2. CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF SITESOF CONSERVATION INTEREST IN THE MARINEAND COASTAL ENVIRONMENT OF LIByA ........................35

5.2.1. Proposed principles or elaborationo the criteria ..................................................................35

5.2.2. Relevant initiatives or inventoring/listingo natural sites o interest ................................................35

5.2.3. Proposed criteria or the Liban coast .............................37

6. Identifed sites o conservation interest

to consider or the Libyan network

o Marine and Coastal Protected Areas ......38

6.1. THE 24 PROPOSED SITES ...............................................38

6.2. OPPORTUNITy FOR TRANS-BOUNDARyCONSERVATION SITES ....................................................38

6.2.1 Assaloum area ................................................................38

6.2.2 Abuammash-Farwa-Beban area ....................................38

6.3. OTHER OPPORTUNITIES .................................................38


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Due to its paleogeographic and ecological bacground, the Medi-

terranean Sea hosts a relativel high diversit and endemism omarine species and habitats. In relation to human occupation othe Mediterranean coasts over thousands o ears, these uniquespecies and habitats are increasingl under threat rom humanactivities, and in particular at the present time rom shing practices,unsustainable tourism, coastal development, pollution and theexacerbating eects o climate change. These threats are amongthe main causes o biodiversit losses and species decline.

International conventions and ora such as the Convention onBiological Diversit (CBD), the Barcelona Convention and the UNWorld Summit on Sustainable Development have recognized andstressed the importance o establishing a networ o eectivelmanaged and representative Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

b 2012, a target recentl reviewed during the CBD meeting inNagoa (Aichi Declaration). In the Mediterranean, the main partnersor marine and coastal conservation have highlighted the need orincreasing the number and enhancing the qualit o MediterraneanMPAs, both in national waters and on the high seas, to reducebiodiversit loss. Among others, the Regional Activit Centre orSpeciall Protected Areas (RAC/SPA, UNEP-MAP BarcelonaConvention), the Agreement on the Conservation o Cetaceanso the Blac and Mediterranean Seas (ACCOBAMS-CITES Con-vention), the World Wide Fund or Nature - Mediterranean ProjectOce (WWF-MedPO), the Centre or Mediterranean Cooperationo the International Union or Conservation o Nature (IUCN-Med),the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet, Ramsar Conven-tion) and other organisations such as the Networ o Managerso Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean (MedPAN) are

combining their eorts or marine and coastal conservation. Cur-rentl, as registered ociall b Mediterranean States under theBarcelona Convention in 2010, 750 Marine and Coastal ProtectedAreas have been created in the Mediterranean Sea, mainl on anopportunistic basis, two-thirds o them being along the northerncoast o the basin.

Thereore, important habitats and associated marine species onthe high sea and along the southern and eastern Mediterraneancoast are under-represented and under-protected. The Mediter-ranean Representative Areas and Species (MedRAS) project, pre-sented below, aims at identiing priorit habitats and species inthese areas to be managed and protected.

The MedRAS Project is an initiative nanced b the MAVA Foun-

dation, Total Foundation and the Spanish Agenc or InternationalCooperation and Development (AECID), and coordinated b IUCN-Med with man Mediterranean par tners. Its general objective is tohelp Mediterranean countries to identi and develop the most rep-resentative and coherent networ o areas o conservation interest.Its implementation is conducted with the participation o scientistsand practitioners rom the par ticipating countries. Its methodologconsists o the ollowing three main steps:

Develop a standard analsis methodolog that taes intoaccount the latest scientic developments in the disciplineso spatial planning, marine ecolog, species modelling andremote sensing. This will include developing standardizeddenitions, dening operating principles and guiding criteria

or data collection, storage and analsis on the scale o theMediterranean Sea.

Gather, compile, assess and analze data o selected pilotsites representative o dierent eco-regions in the Mediterra-nean Sea.

Identi the spatial distribution and extent o major threatsincluding human activities, in par ticular shing, shipping, landand marine based pollution as well as invasive species.

Produce maps o sensitive areas and spatial distributiono sites in need o protection which are not included in

the current sstem o MPAs. These maps will be made avail-able to regional and national management and conservationplanners.

INTRODUCTION ThE medRAs PROjECT


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1. The socio-economic contexto the marine and coastal environment in Liba

Liba is an Arican countr bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Its

coastline extends over 1,970 m with important portions that arestill in ver good natural condition. Although petroleum explora-tion and exploitation, sheries at sea and urbanisation o the coastare the most important human activities, man others exist in theLiban coastal zone: the ollowing table provides a more accuratelist.

A brie description o the main economic sectors o relevance tothe marine and coastal environment is presented hereater.

Table 1:Coastal area and marine resources

(EGA-WWF, 2005)

Fi. 1:Liban Arab Jamahiria

http://www.un.org/depts/cartographic/map/prole/liba.pd

Economic and trade resources

- coastal urbanization and road networs

- harbours, canal harbours and tourist harbours

- dredging

- navigation and shipbuilding industr

- articial islands and oshore terminals

- pipelines, underwater cables and pipes

- hotels and holida villages

Economic, mineral and energy resources

- hdrocarbon extraction and storage

- reneries and chemical industries

- heav industr

- thermal power plant

- waste processing plants and dumps

- alternative energ production

- quarries and mines

- salt marshes

Historical and archaeological resources

- historic sites

- wrecs

Social resources

- tourism and leisure

- swimming and diving

- achting and sailing

Landscape resources

- pars, reserves and sanctuaries

Biological resources

- demersal and pelagic shing

- aquaculture

- sh meals

- marine pharmacolog and biochemistr


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Liban shermen use our dierent techniques: artisanal shing,Lampara (purse seine) shing, coastal trawling and tuna shing(Lamboeu et al., 2000). Previousl, sponge shing was a com-mon activit , in decline since the 1960s due to the shit to industrialshing, diseases and pollution (Otman and karlberg, 2007).

The our tpes o artisanal sher were being used along the Libancoastline in 2000, dominated b popular foua (Lamboeu, 2000),a modied Mediterranean traditional small boat (Fig. 2).

1.1. FIshINg AND FIshERIEs

Fishing activit in Liba is an active and growing sector o the econ-om. Although the sector emplos a low number o Libans (lessthan 0.0025%), it can be classied as one o the main economicactivities or the population in the coastal area (Table 2).

Estimated employment (2003)

Primar sector 11 500 Full-time and part-time shermen

Secondar sector 3 500 (landing site services, mareting,administration, canneries)

Gross value o sheries output

(2003, est.) US $100 million

Trade (2003)

Value o imports US $40 628 000

Value o exports US $10 476 000

Table 2:Emploment and economic value o the shing sector in Liba.

Source: COPEMED, 2005.

Fishermen in their foua. Gul o Bumba. RDG / RAC-SPA.

Batah: flat-bottom (7-8m)

68 (4%)

Flouka (2-7m)

1133 (61%)

Others

135 (7%)

Mator (6-18m)

530 (28%)

Fi. 2:

Total number and percentage o shing crat tpes in Liba,blue representing other tpes.

Data source: Lamboeu et al., 2000.

The shing feet and consequentl the shing eort are locatedtowards the western section (55%) o the coast (Tripoli region:

Misuratah-Tunisian border, Fig. 3). It ma be driven b the presenceo historic shing communities in the area and the extension o thecontinental shel (55,000 sq m), which is the ar eastern end o


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shing activit management sstem, as the municipalities werethen responsible or licensing, denition o shing gear, areas andseasons, plus control o landings and mareting.

Aquaculture activit started in the Liban coastal zone at the begin-ning o the 1990s using wild juveniles o seabass (Dicentrarchuslabrax), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and several species omullet (Mugilspp.). Attempts were undertaen to rear other marine

species such as amberjac (Seriola dumerilii) or uruma prawn(Penaeus japonicus).

Overall production rom aquaculture increased substantiall whencommercial arms or the rearing o seabream and seabasswere launched using imported ngerlings. Their annual produc-tion reached about 300 tons in 2008. The arming o bluen tuna(Thunnus thynnus thynnus) is a new activit in Liba, and its annualproduction is about 400 tons.

In terms o emploment, the social impact o aquaculture is limited.The number o ull-time emploees was estimated at 140 in 2004.

the Gul o Gabes shel in Tunisia, with shallow waters, seagrassmeadows and high productivit compared with the remaining twosections o the Liban coast.

Jabal Akhdar

415 (22%)

Gulf of Sirte

422 (23%)

Tripoli

1029 (55%)

Fi. 3:Number and relative percentages o the shing feet

in Liba in each region.

Data source: Lamboeu et al., 2000.

The Liban catch was below 10,000 tons until 1980, when theindustr received a boost and the catch steadil increased to itsclimax in the ear 2000 (Fig. 4), with more than 50,000 tons (FAO-COPEMED, 2010). However, the last ten ears have witnesseda continuous decrease in sh landings (20% less than the 2000catch), certainl due to a concentrated eort in the same areas,leading to overshing and lac o management and control o sh-ing activities. This supports the need and urgenc o establish-ing a national networ o marine protected areas to contain suchdecline.

Most o the catches are related to artisanal vessels shing with nets

and targeting demersal shes, and Lampara boats targeting smallpelagic shes, while the industrial tuna sher provides less thanour percent o the total landed. Inland sher is negligible (FAO-COPEMED, 2010).

Fi. 4:Fisher Capture Development in Liba (1960-2006).

The Secretariat o Marine Wealth (SMW) was the administrationresponsible or managing and developing the shing sector, until

the ear 2000 when a decentralisation polic was introduced bthe government, and responsibilities were handed over to localmunicipalities (Shabiat). This had major consequences on the

0

10 000

20 000

30 000

40 000

50 000

1960 20092000199019801970

Tons / Years

1.2. OIL ExPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

Depending on the ear, oil exports represent 75 to 90% o total Lib-

an exports, and oil revenues are the major income or the countr,regardless o recent eorts to diversi sources o revenue.

Liba has the largest proven oil reserves in Arica (BP, 2008).According to the Organisation o the Petroleum Exporting Coun-tries (OPEC) (2008), Liba had proven oil reserves o 44.27 billionbarrels, and 1,540 billion cubic meters o natural gas. The latestLiba Oil & Gas Report rom Business Monitor International (BMI)orecasts that the countr will account or 7.76% o Arican regionaloil demand b 2014, while providing 16.77% o suppl.

Low production costs and Libas proximit to oil marets in West-ern Europe made it the ideal destination or investment in the oilindustr. Ater the liting o US (2003) and UN (2004) economicsanctions, oshore oil exploration was developed, mainl rom

2006, with the arrival o oil rms rom around the world. Oshoredrilling is conducted up to 50 m rom the coastline, which wouldurther increase the countrs abilit to produce oshore oil and

Oil terminal near Farwa lagoon (west o Tripoli). RDG / RAC-SPA.


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C

B

A

g

F

E

D


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Plate I:

Most signiicant ish species o trammel net catches

(Universit and Marine Research Centre o Tajura surves,March 2005-March 2006).

A) Oblada melanura

B) Mullus surmuletus

C) Diplodus vulgaris

D) Diplodus sargus

E) Serranus scriba

F) Diplodus annularis

G) Scorpaena scroa

H) Sciaena umbra

I) Dentex dentex

Drawings b Vincent Fossat (1877 to 1879).

Scale 40% and 90% orSciaena umbra

Courtes Museum dHistoire naturelle de Nice.

I j

K

h

Sea turtles.

J) Caretta caretta.

k) Dermochelys coriacea.

Drawings b Maurizio Wrtz.


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gas, though it carries consequential riss o pollution (oil spills)i saet and environment protection measures are not properldened and strictl ollowed. Contingenc plans were stressed tobe part o the saet policies o ever rm in this eld, and theshould be in place or dealing with an oil spills that ma occur romoil taners, oil terminals and oshore pipelines.

1.3. AgRICULTURE

Farming (with grazing) was the main activit o the Liban popula-tion prior to the discover o oil in the 1960s. The agricultural tradi-tion is deepl rooted in Libas histor since the Roman Empire.However, the arid nature o most o Libas territor (93% o Libareceives less than 100 mm/ear) conned this activit to the Medi-terranean coastal strip and the Jabal Nausah and Jabal Ahdarhighlands, as more rainall (250-300 mm/ear) is recorded in theTripoli-Jeara region and Jabel Ahdar area.

The availabilit o millions o cubic meters o ossil reshwaterrom deep desert aquiers, via the Great Man-Made River Project(GMRP) in the northern plains, was developed to increase the irri-

gated areas and enhance agricultural development (Table 3). How-ever, the speed o water investment or agriculture is still slowerthan the rate o expansion o the GMRP networ in most o north-ern Liba.

Table 3:

Sources o Water in Liba in 2008 and estimates or 2009-2011(million g/d)

Source: General Desalination Compan.

Source 2008 2009-11

Great Man-Made River 210 352

Ground water 132 163

Desalination 31 75

Total 373 590

The last 30 ears saw a drop in the percentage o the populationor whom agriculture is their main proession. While at the end o1981, there had been 234,000 agricultural worers or 25 per cento the labour orce, b 2002 this had decreased to 101,000 oraround onl 5 per cent o the labour orce (Otman and karlberg,2007). This might be related to dierent causes, including unavo-rable climatic conditions, especiall drought, the economic value oagricultural activit and changes in land usage, with more urbani-sation and development o agricultural land.

Even with all this withdrawal rom agriculture, it still contributes togive about 9 per cent o GDP and provides emploment or about5 per cent o the total economicall active population (Otman andkarlberg, 2007).

Based on the assumptions made regarding water productionor agriculture, the total water requirement to support basic oodsel-sucienc and to meet the domestic water demand o 12million Libans b the ear 2025 is estimated to range rom 10.5 to16.4 m/ear, compared to the 4.3 m/ear at present. Whenthe GMRP becomes ull operational, the total amount o wateravailable or all uses, assuming that the present groundwater pro-duction equipment is maintained until 2025, will be in the order o6.5 m/ear and will thus hardl cover 50% o the countrs totalwater requirement (FAO 2005).

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reection Radiometer(ASTER) on NASAs Terra satellite captured this image on April 10, 2006.

It shows part o Libyas massive water project, known as the Grand OmarMukhtar, near the city o Suluq.

Water residing in reservoirs appears twice in this image,in the upper right and at the bottom.

In both cases, the water appears dark blue.In this alse-color image, vegetation appears red,

and the brighter the red, the more robust the vegetation.

NASA image created b Jesse Allen, Earth Observator,using data provided courtes o NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS,

and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.

http://earthobservator.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6454


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1.5. ELECTRICITy AND WATER DEsALINATION

As o Januar 2004, Liba had an electric power production capac-it o about 4.7 gigawatts (GW). Most o Libas existing powerstations are being converted rom oil to natural gas, and the state-owned General Electricit Compan (GECOL) is building severalnew power plants to run on natural gas, primaril to maximize thevolume o oil available or export purposes.

Liba is also looing at potential wind and solar projects, particu-larl in remote regions where it is impractical to extend the powergrid.

Several desalination plants were introduced along the coast oLiba (see Table 4) rom 1976 to 2002. The production o thesestations, usuall an accessor to steam power plants, is ver lowdue to the lac o management, local sills and spare parts.

Desalination ma remain the ultimate solution to the water shortagecrisis in the whole o North Arica, and in Liba in par ticular, ater aew decades when ossil water resources will have reached a stateo depletion.

1.4. INDUsTRy

Industrial activities in the coastal region o Liba is conned to largecities, lie Tripoli, Misurata and Benghazi, with some centres ospecialised industrial complexes (petrochemicals, oil and gas ren-eries, steel industr).

The petrochemical complex in Abuammash (near Farwa Lagoonin the west) is a continuous ris to the marine environment, even ino pollution crises have been reported to date.

The oil reneries on the coastal area, including those in Zawia,Ras Lanou, Brega, Zwitina, Tobru, are another source o potentialoil pollution; as is the steel and iron compan in Misuratah.

In act, most o the state-owned companies have contingencplans or accidental pollution incidents, developed in collaborationwith the EGA and Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) over the past20 ears.

Farwa Lagoon and petrochemical complex in Abuammash. Zuwarah desal inat ion plant (Nalut) . GoogleEarth.

Table 4:

Capacit o desalination plants installed along the Liban coast

(million g/d).Source: General Desalination Compan.

Location Capacity (million g/d) Operation date

Gul o Bumba 6.6 1990

Zliten 6.6 19

Soussa 2.2 2000

Tobru 8.8 200

Abutraba 8.8 200

Zwara 8.8 20

Total 41.8


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Category 2006 statistics 2008 statistics

Total number o tourists 125,480 759,771

Cruise tourists 83,938 8,218

Average length o sta 7 das 7 das

Average spending (tourist /da) 60 Euros 120 Euros

Table 5:

Source: General Board o Tourism and Traditional Industries.www.liban-tourism.org

.

The lac o a clear legal ramewor or species/habitat protectionin Liba ma trigger the loss o habitats at these sites, due to tour-ism development and associated construction wor. Although thecurrent environmental legislation (Law no.15/2003 on the Environ-ment) states in its articles and executive regulations that the Envi-ronment Impact Assessment process must be ollowed prior todeveloping an area in Liba, it is apparentl onl properl ollowedin the oil and gas industr: most other national authorities do notrespond positivel to these regulations.

1.6. TOURIsm

Tourism in Liba was or man ears a minor contributor to thenational econom, but ater the liting o US and UN sanctions, thegovernment has developed the tourism sector and hopes that it willsupport the national income more signicantl.

In the ear 2004, Law no.7 on tourism development was approved.In 2005, the Tourist Development Board was established, empow-ered with much wider abilities than the previous board: prepara-tion o a comprehensive national tourist development plan, support(with earmared budget) and development o necessar inrastruc-tures such as roads, electricit and water supplies or tourist sites,as well as the abilit to identi and distance sites dedicated to

tourism rom either alread built-up or undeveloped state or privatesector-owned sites and locations (GPC decree no. 180/2005;Otman and karlberg, 2007).

The ollowing table (5) shows the recent changes in tourist num-bers, and average spending per tourist per da.

The plan or developing tourism 1999-2018 targets 25 out o 29coastal sites or marine (diving) and beach tourism, 21 o thesesites having a high marine/coastal biodiversit conservation value.

Theater o Leptis Magna. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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2. General overviewo the marine and coastal environmentin Liba

2.1. gEOmORPhOLOgy OF ThE COAsTs

From the border with Tunisia to the border with Egpt, the Libancoast can be divided geomorphologicall into seven sectors:

2.1.1. Ras Ajdir to Tripoli (180 km)

This part (32.50N, 13.14E) is characterised b a lac o guls andbas, as it taes the general shape o a concave coastline, withver ew bas at wadi mouths, the port o Tripolis roc headlandand the sand bar comprising Farwa Island to the west o the coun-tr. The beaches on this part o the coast are white sand, low, butin some areas reaching 10 m o sand dunes, ollowed b severalsebhas (rom Sabratah to Ras Ajdir), such as Samdine, Brega,the Zourara saltpans, and Abuammash which also orms a trans-

boundar site with Tunisia.

2.1.2. Tripoli to Misuratah (220 km)

This sector eatures medium-elevated roc ormations with steepcoastal slopes, small sea headlands and some narrow bas atwadi mouths, as in Wadi kaam and Wadi Lebda (Leptis); the eleva-tion is due to the contact o the oothills o the western mountain(Neusa Mt) with the sea (rom Garabulli to khoms), with continu-ous wave action on this sandstone/limestone coast.

300 km 300 km

Posidonia oceanica meadow near the UNESCO World Heritagesite o Sabratha. RDG / RAC-SPA.

Fishing village (north o Garabulli). RDG / RAC-SPA.


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2.1.4. El-Magroon to Tolmitah (190 km)

This sector is mared b the presence o coastal slopes and cavesin the eastern part, caused b either arestic or marine erosiono the medium-elevated limestone coastline. The remaining part isless elevated and specicall rich in coastal lagoons and sebhasthat connect with the sea, and/or have reshwater input, giving abracish-rich habitat.

2.1.3. Misuratah to El-Magroon (680 km)

The longest stretch o the Liban coast, with simple coastal struc-tures, dominated b sand shores, o dierent sizes and topog-raph, such as the eastern and middle parts represented b fatsand coasts, with ew medium-elevated parts around halophtic vegetations, whilst the western part (near Misuratah) eatureshigher sand dune beaches (20 m ASL). Sclerosed sand dunesare also abundant in the middle and western parts o this sector,

plaing a major role in coastline shape and evolution, resulting romwind and marine erosion actions.

The most extended Sebhas are ound in this sector, such as Seb-het Qaser Ahmed, Taourgha, Hisha, Ras Lanou, Bisher, Brega, Ajdabia and karura. These sites are mostl at, or even lowerthan, sea level, some o them having a direct input rom sea waterand some receiving fush rain streams rom wadis.

300 km 300 km

Gul o Sirte. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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2.1.6. Ras Tin to Elba (90 km)

This stretch orms an arc in a north-south direction, giving the Gulo Bumba, with intense sand ormations and low topograph, andthe extensive presence o coastal lagoons and sebhas. This areahas the highest number o small islands in Liba, such as the islando Elolbah (sn. names Elba or Um Elmaraeb Island) to the east,Barda Island to the north-east, and the islands o Weta, Misura-tah and Um Elgarami in the middle o the gul. Several wadis also

empt into this Gul, such as Wadi Tememi, Wadi Qusaibat andWadi Elmaalaq.

2.1.5. Tolmitah to Ras Tin (250 km)

The steepest and most elevated Liban coasts are to be ound inthis section, as some limestone coastal ormations reach >100 m(Ras Hilal and Lathroon), with the Green mountain running downto the sea, directl or with a ver narrow coastal plain. This areais also relativel richer in coastal headlands (e.g. Ras Buazza, Raskarsa, Ras Hilal and Ras Amer). The high elevated slopes are inter-sected with deep narrow wadis, empting into narrow bas such

as Wadi khalij and Wad Jarma. The beaches in this part o the coast var rom narrow sandbeaches to gravell or roc boulders in some par ts, as a result osand precipitation in wadi mouths or strong wave action on lime-stone ormations.

300 km 300 km

Coast o Crenaica.

RDG / RAC-SPA.

Coastal lagoon. Gul o Bumba.

RDG / RAC-SPA.


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300 km

2.1.7. Elba to Bir Ramla (160 km)

The coastline here runs in an east-west direction, oering the high-est proportion o curving coastline in the countr, with short wadiswith high, steep edges empting into the sea (e.g. Wadi Ungela-nez) in small to medium-sized guls. Miocene limestone ormationscover most o this sector, maing coastal slopes o over 40 m easto Tobru. The remaining coasts var rom low to medium elevatedroc shores to gravel coasts, with limited small sand beaches (in

some areas less than 1000 m long, as in the nor thern An Ghazalabeaches).

Along the Libyan coast, 3 out o 12 important Mediter-ranean marine biodiversity hotspots have been identifed(Fig. 5), namely the western coast rom west Tripoli to includethe whole Gul o Gabes, the Gul o Sirte area and the east-ern (Cyrenica) coast. These areas are characterised by highmarine and coastal biodiversity and are in need o immediateaction to protect such important hotspots.

Fi. 5:Three e high Mediterranean marine biodiversit hotspots identied in Liba (source: WWF Gap Analsis, 1998).

Coast o Bardia. Google Earth.


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2.2.3. Salinity

Salinit measurements var between the west and east, and areaected b several actors, among them the currents and tem-perature. Salinit in Liban waters ranges rom 37.8 to 38.5 PSU,to the 39.1 PSU o the Levantine intermediate waters, which fow westwards. More extreme salinit (and water temperature) canbe measured in semi-closed lagoons and guls, such as theFarwa and Ain Zaana Lagoons and the Gul o Bumba and An

Ghazala.

2.3. CLImATE AND hyDROLOgy

2.3.1. General climate conditions

Three main tpes o climatic tpes are present in Liba: the Medi-terranean climate along the coastal area o Crenaica, ollowed ba belt o 50-100 m o steppe habitat which dominates the coastalzone o Liba, then a vast majorit o the countr which is desert,coming in direct contact with the Mediterranean waters at the Gulo Sirte (Fig. 7).

In coastal areas, where 80 percent o the population lives, the

dominant climatic sstem is Mediterranean, with warm summersand mild winters. Liban and North Arican weather is generallinfuenced b two sources: the Mediterranean Sea to the north,and the expanse o desert to the south. When cooler air massesrom the north meet up with hot desert air, liting occurs, which cancreate rainall. Decienc in rainall is refected in an absence o per-manent rivers or streams, and the twent or so perennial laes arebracish or salt. Desert winds or dr Ghibli can greatl reducerelative humidit. These winds can last ve das, but seldom per-sist or more than one.

2.2. OCEANOgRAPhy

2.2.1. Currents

The Mediterranean Sea is lacing in high tidal movements, thegeneral current speed is thus low compared with other seas andoceans. This leads to the act that the waters o this sea needabout 70 ears to be renewed, which results in dierences in salin-it between the western and eastern Mediterranean (Fig. 6). The

location o Liba in the central southern Mediterranean has madeit a transitional phase between these two oceanographic regimes(Buhsheem and Ettoumi, 2001). The currents in the central Medi-terranean can be classied into three main tpes:

Permanent Atlantic surace current: (25-30 m depth in winter andup to 50 m depth in spring), slowing towards the east, and movingalong the north Arican coasts, maing its wa to Liba throughthe Gul o Gabes beore dividing into two branches, one returninginside the Gul o Gabes ollowing a north-westerl counter fow,awa rom the coast, the other continuing eastwards (Zupanovicet al., 1983).

Mid-water current: at a depth o 200-600 m, moving contrar tothe surace current, east to west.

Deep-water current: in waters >1000 m deep, cold stable saline

water, moving as its temperature or salinit changes.

A stud o oceanographic parameters is a prerequisite or theestablishment o marine protected areas, as it aects both spatialand temporal distribution o species and communities.

Main path

Secondary path / recirculation

Mesoscale (instability)

Seasonal path

Interannual path

Mesoscale (wind-induced)

300 km

0 10 20 30

3730

2730

Fi. 6:Circulation within the Mediterranean Sea (note: Atlantic current along

North Arican coast, and returning circulations).

(From Millot and Taupier-Letage, 2005).

2.2.2 . Waves:

year-round directional wave distribution shows a majorit fowingnorth and east, with 60% o waves in an east/north-east direction.Higher waves can reach 5 to 7 m in Ma (Snamprogetti, 2001).Jul is the calmest month and December the roughest in mosto the western and central Liban coast. In contrast, the coast oCrenaica (eastern region) can witness local northern winds inJune-Jul-mid August, called Elmelthem (Miltemi in Gree), result-ing rom a high pressure sstem ling over the Balans and Hun-

garian region and a relativel low pressure sstem over Ture. Thiswind virtuall puts a stop to an sailing during this period, when itcan extend rom 3 to 6 das.

Mediterranean SeaTunisia

Algeria E

gypt

Niger

ChadMediterranean

SteppeDesert

12E 18E 24E

24N

30N

BSh

BSh BSh

BShBSh

BSh

CSa

BWh

BWh

BWh

BWh

BWh

BWh

BWh

N

Sudan

300 km

Fi. 7:Climatic tpes in Liba

(ater the kppen and De Martonne climate classication schemes).


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2.3.2. Temperature

The Liban coast lies within the subtropical range, receiving agreat amount o solar radiation all ear around. This leads to highair temperatures, especiall in summer. The mean temperatureis 15-17 C in Februar and 25-28 C in summer (Buhsheemand Ettoumi, 2001). Sea surace water temperature is stronglinfuenced b seasonal air temperature variations (Fig. 8). 29 Con average in August, alling in Januar to 12.5 C (Ramadan et.

al., 1984).

Fi. 8:

Sea surace temperature in the Mediterranean:Jul 2009 (let) and Januar 2010 (right).

Source: Mediterranean Ocean Forecasting Sstem

http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/ms/

2.3.3. Precipitation

Rainall is scant and visibilit is 98% ear-round due to the drclimate (Fig. 9). The weather is cooler in the highlands, and rostsoccur at maximum elevations. In the desert interior, the climate ea-tures ver hot summers and extreme diurnal temperature ranges.Less than 2% o the national territor receives enough rainall orsettled agriculture, the heaviest precipitation occurring in the Jabalal Ahdar zone o Crenaica, where annual rainall o 400 to 600

millimetres is recorded. All other areas o the countr receive lessthan 400 millimetres, and in the Sahara 50 millimetres or less occur.Rainall is oten erratic, and a pronounced drought ma extendover two seasons. Average rainall or the countr is 26 millimetres(about 1 inch), and onl seven percent o the countr receives 100millimetres (4 inches) or more annuall.

Mediterranean SeaTunisia

Algeria E

gypt

Niger

Chad

12E 18E 24E

24N

30

N

N

Sudan

300 km

Fi. 9:

Distribution o mean annual precipitation (mm) in Liba,1946- 2000.


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2.4. mAIN BIODIvERsITy ELEmENTs

IN ThE mARINE AND COAsTAL ENvIRONmENT

OF LIByA

The coastal strip and the adjacent marine waters provide higheconomic, biological, historical, social and ecological values andservices to the communities that inhabit such environments.Detecting the most important eco-biological elements or conser-

vation purposes is a vital step towards the proper managementand sustainable utilisation o these areas.

Habitat type Habitat description Distribution within Libya

I. SUPRALITTORAL

I. 2. SANDS

I. 2. 1. Biocenosis o supralittoral sands Area corresponding to the upper beach whichis onl humidied b the sea during storms.

Most sand beaches west o Tripoli, till Zowara,the majorit o coasts between Misuratah andDeranah (north Benghazi), and scattered sitesalong Crenaica till Tobru.

II. MEDIOLITTORAL

II.1. MUDS, SANDy MUDS AND SANDS

II.1.1. Biocenosis o mudd sands and muds Habitat present in the estuaries and deltas omajor coastal rivers.

Present mainl on margins o wadi mouths oTurghat, Ain Wadi kaam and Maseed in thewest; in the central region (gul o Sirte) at activewadis and in Crenica (East) in Wadi Alhalijand most o Jabal Ahdar valles and springswith mudd soil (e.g. Ain Ezzarga).

II.3. STONES AND PEBBLESII.3.1. Biocenosis o mediolittoral coarse detriticbottoms

Mid-beach with stones and pebbles, with avertical extension that is usuall slight.

Beaches o northern Benghazi, SE Misuratahand west o Tobru (e.g. An Ghazala).

II.3.1.1. Facies with bans o dead leaves oPosidonia oceanica and other phanerogams

Accumulation o plant debris made up mostl odeadPosidonia oceanica leaves and/or leaveso other phanerogams.

Most o the sand beaches such as thosewest o Sirte, south o Benghazi, SE Misuratah,Tajoura.

II.4. HARD BEDS AND ROCkS

II.4.1. Biocenosis o the upper mediolittoral rocII.4.2. Biocenosis o lower mediolittoral rocII.4.1.3. Association withNemalionhelminthoides and Rissoella verruculosa

A roc area located at sea level, dampened bboth spra and the tops o the waves.

A horizon present in the bottom part o theupper mediolittoral roc, between 10 and 50centimetres above the average level o the sea,where there is strong wave action.

Coastal marine area o Crenaica (Tolmitah tillthe Egptian border), as well as on the islandso Garah (Gul o Sirte), Sussa (Apollonia) andlittle roc ormations in ront o Tripoli, Derna,and west o Misuratah, and Benjawad.

Marine caves and crees o the Crenaica

coast between Tolmitah and Sussa, Garahisland, and in other sites near Tripoli andMisuratah.

Litter oPosidonia washed up b the tide

between An Ghazala and Tobru. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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III. INFRALITTORAL

III.1. SANDy MUDS, SANDS, GRAVELS AND ROCk IN EURyHALINE AND EURyTHERMAL ENVIRONMENT

III.1. 1. Eurhaline and eurthermal biocenosis. Stretches o ne sand, mudd sand and mudin relativel closed-o areas up to a ew metresdeep.

Lagoons (e.g. Farwa, An Zaana, An Ghazala).

III.2. FINE SANDS WITH MORE OR LESS MUD

III.2.2. Biocenosis o well-sorted ne sands.III.2.3. Biocenosis o supercial mudd sands insheltered waters.

Stretches o ne sand at depths o between2 and 25 metres that can present acies withepifora.

Some parts o lagoons mentioned above, someopen sea streaches that are deeper with sotersands and epiphtes, along the coast andespeciall on the continental shel west o Liba.

III.3. COARSE SANDS WITH MORE OR LESS MUD

III.3.1. Biocenosis o coarse sands and negravels mixed b the waves.

A habitat located in protected coves, in asheltered environment.

Beaches with coarse sand and gravels in smallwave-beaten coves.

An Ghazala, Gul o Bumba, Gul o Burda andGul o Tobru (all in Crenaica), Farwa lagoon

(west).Gul o Ras Hilal; several small coves and valleheights in Crenaica.

III.5.Posidonia oceanica meadow.

III.5.1.Posidonia oceanica meadows. ThePosidonia oceanica meadow representsover one quarter o the photophilous biotopeso the Mediterranean inralittoral

In the majorit o inralittoral and somemediolittoral zones o Liban waters. Mainl onthe open sea but also within or at mouths olagoons (Farwa) and at Ain Al Ghazala (as rareMacro atolls o 0.5-2m). Also around islands(Garah) and within the Guls (Bumba, Ras Hilaland others).

III.6. HARD BEDS AND ROCkS

III.6.1. Biocenosis o inra li ttora l a lgae. Present rom 0-40 m. The biocenosis ophotophilous algae is extremel rich and o

great complexit, due to the strong phsicalgradients existing at its level. 35 subtpes havebeen identied in the Mediterranean.

Along the roc bottoms in open seas in theTripoli area, west o Misuratah, along man

areas o the Gul o Sirte and largel most oCrenaica in open waters.

Vermeted trottoir near An Ghazala. MF / RAC-SPA.


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IV CIRCALITTORAL

IV.2. SANDS

IV.2.2. Biocenosis o the coastal detritic bottom. Stretches o heterogeneous sediment at depthso between 30 and 100 metres (margins thatvar according to geographical sector) whichma present acies with epifora and epiauna.

The gul o Sirte (in areas with low currents) andon the open sea.

IV.3. HARD BEDS AND ROCkS

IV.3.1. Coralligenous biocenosis. Abundance o large erect inver tebrates. Thishabitat is located mainl at a depth o 30 to 90meters and orms landscapes o great aestheticvalue.

Open sea, especiall Crenaica open waters.

IV.3.2. Semi-dar caves. The ront parts o caves, overhangs and steeproc aces, where the light is greatl dimmed,populated b man sessile invertebrate

species, and constituting landscapes o greataesthetic value.

Open sea and areas between Sussa andDerna where the continental shel is narrowand vertical bottoms attain > 200 m with

underwater caves and stretches with thepresence o red coral.

V BATHYAL

V.1. MUDS

V.1.1. Biocenosis o bathal muds. Vast stretches o clae mud, usual l compact,ellowish or bluish gre, relativel substantial,continuing at depths o over 150-250 metres.

Inormation not available, need or specicsurve equipment and capacit.

Gul o Sirte. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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The reason wh bluen tuna is on the edge o extinction is that thesize o mature shes has more than halved since the 1990s. Theaverage size o tuna caught o the coast o Liba, or example, hasdropped rom 124 g in 2001 to onl 65 g in 2009 (WWF, 2010).

The expansion o industrial shing ma lead to several negativeconsequences on artisanal sheries which sustain thousands o job sites or Libans, as well as accelerate the exhaustive exploi-tation o the countrs marine resources in just a ew ears inan unsustainable wa. The signing o a partnership with the EUis expected in 2010 or 2011. Apart rom the benets that would

accrue to the Liban econom, this shing partnership should, inparticular, tae into consideration the slow recover o Liban sh-eries and the need to mae no-tae zones along the coast a prior-it. It should also help in co-nancing the networ o MPAs o theLiban coastline.

3.1. OvERFIshINg

Practice o catching so many adult fsh that not enough remain tobreed and replenish the population(Ud Bell, 2004).

This is a major problem or the Mediterranean. Liba was consid-ered or decades as an area where shing activit was lower ascompared to neighbouring countries. In 2000, Liban productionreached its highest capacit (via national sheries, but also dueto illegal shing in Liban waters b other nations). Fig. 4 shows aremarable drop in production ater the ear 2000. Man speciesbecame rarer on the local maret, and were replaced b otherinvasive species, which indicate an overharvest in some sectors oLiban waters, due to a concentrated shing eort.

Some fagship species are drawing international attention in theMediterranean, such as bluen tuna and swordsh: the ma aceextinction in coming ears, i industrial shing continues to ollowits present trend.

3. Pressures and threatsto the marine and coastal environmentand biodiversit

Xiphias gladius. Fishing port o Tripoli.

RDG / RAC-SPA.

Fishing por t o Tripoli. The Mediterranean subpopulation o spin dogish

Squalus acanthias is classiied as endangered on the IUCN Red Lis t.

RDG / RAC-SPA.


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3.2. INvAsIvE sPECIEs

The introduction o alien species into the marine environment,naturall, intentionall or b accident, is thought to be the mostimportant threat or marine biodiversit.

According to the Mediterranean Action Plan on invasive species(RAC/SPA, 2005), the main nown vectors o species introductioninto the Mediterranean Sea are:

Entr o Red Sea organisms through the Suez Canal.

Shipping (ballast water, anchoring and sediments, ouling).

Aquaculture (both marine and bracish water).

Trade in live marine organisms (e.g. aquarium activities, shingbait) and scientic research.

In Liba, the list o alien sh has exceeded 28 species (BenAbdalla,personal communications). Recentl, Shaman and kinzelbach(2008) reported 17 lessepsian sh species, 4 o them new recordsor Liba. Little updated inormation is available about other invasivespecies (invertebrates, algae etc), which need to be a priorit orscientic research in the coming ears (Fig. 10).

Fi. 10:

A) Fishmongers shop with Bluespotted cornetish,

Fistularia commersonii.Tripoli. RDG / RAC-SPA.

B) Siganus luridus, RDG / RAC-SPA.

C) Stephanolepis diaspros, MF / RAC-SPA.

D) Lagocephalus sceleratus, MF / RAC-SPA.

E) Pinctada radiata, MF / RAC-SPA.

A

B

C

D E


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3.3. hABITAT ALTERATION, POLLUTION AND LAND UsE

Alteration on land would have serious consequences or themarine environment. Development on sand or roc beaches,without proper Environment Impact Assessments (EIA, as required

b Law 15-2003), can have long-term impacts on the marine envi-ronment, its biodiversit and natural resources. Regardless o thegeneral pristine condition o the Liban coast, pollution sourcesma disturb the marine environment and biodiversit, in particularthe dumping o untreated sewage, waste (in wadis or along thesearont) or petrochemical products, pumping and pouring o sea-water or desalination, cooling sstems used b oil reneries andpower stations.

3.4. LACK OF AWARENEss

OF CONsERvATION PRIORITIEs

In Liba, decision-maers are aware in general o environmentalissues. However, conservation issues are still not gaining su-cient attention at governmental planning level, except or individualsmall-sized pilot projects conducted under EGA supervision, suchas the Conservation o Medicinal Plants Project (with the IUCN:1997-2003), the Liban Sea Turtle Program (since 2005) and reor-estation campaigns organised each autumn to build green beltsaround cities and towns.

In 2007 a national project to establish a management sstem inexisting protected areas and national pars was initiated b theEGA in partnership with the UNDP. This is a estone project orupdating the management sstem and training rangers in pro-tected areas on a scientic basis. The project will end in 2011 andwill hopeull create a concrete basis or the protection o naturein Liba.

Fishing port o Tripoli. RDG / RAC-SPA.

Caulerpa racemosa meadow, Tripoli. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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3.5. CLImATE ChANgE

It is clear that the eects o climate change on habitats alreadthreatened b other pressures can accelerate the rhthm o dete-rioration o those habitats. No stud to date has been launched

in Liba on the eects o climate change on biodiversit, except aver recent on-going stud on the eect o rising temperatures onthe sex ratio o loggerhead sea turtles, conducted b the LibanSea Turtle Program in cooperation with Sax Universit o Tunisia(details can be ound at: http://libstp.rac-spa.org/index.php/en/programmes-a-projects/sex-ratio).

Studies on general trends o climatic changes within Libahave mainl been conducted b research students abroad (e.g.Elenadi, 2004, El-Tantawi, 2005), but the taing into account othe results b the Liban administration has not been consideredas a priorit.

3.6. DROUghT AND DEsERTIFICATION

Desertication in Liba is caused b both climatic and anthropo-genic actors (El-Tantawi, 2005). Evidence shows that certain arid,semi-arid, and dr sub humid areas have experienced decreas-ing precipitation, negativel aecting soil ertilit and the produc-tion o agriculture, livestoc, orest and rangeland (McCar th et al.,2001).

Fragile land and a lac o sucient precipitation can be added tothe destruction o topsoil; though over-grazing and over-cultivationare the major causes o this tpe o land degradation (El-Tantawi,2005). In all Nor th Arican countries, over-grazing is the main causeo soil degradation, ollowed b over-cultivation, deorestationand over-exploitation o land (see Fig. 11, Middleton and Thomas,1994).

Liba was aware o the problem o desertication, as a nationalcommittee on combating desertication was ormed in 2004, withthe participation o numerous national entities including EGA and

representatives rom agriculture, armers organisations and coop-eratives, under the leadership o the General Peoples Commit-tee or Agriculture and Animal Wealth. Programs were set up tostop dunes moving towards the north o the countr rom the vastdesert area in the south, orestation campaigns are organised eachear, with students, armers and volunteers. However, the rate ochanging land use (rom orest to armland, then rom armland tobuilding sites) as in cities lie Tripoli, in a continuous trend towardsdevelopment, has led them to be now on the ringe o a pre-deser tzone, resulting rom clearance o thousands o orested areas. Dueto the removal o this green belt, dust storms have become dailevents in spring and summer in most parts o northern Liba and,in act, most o the region (Fig. 12).

Deforestation

10,5%

Over-exploitation

0,5%

Over-cultivation

21%

Over-grazing68%

Fi. 11.

Causes o Desertication in North Arican countries.

Fi. 12. Satellite image (MODIS) o massive sandstorm covering most o Liba and the Central Mediterranean. NASA www.visibleearth.nasa.gov


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SMW Decision No. 98 o 1993 regarding the sta o sher

administrations in municipalities and regions and authorizing themto act as legal ocers.

Law No. 15 o 2003, which replaced Law No. 7 o 1982, con-cerning environmental protection. In this Law, Chapter 3h contains21 articles, comprehensivel covering marine sheries and marinewealth conservation, identiing the means and procedures nec-essar or the protection o sh stoc, and banning the dumpingo oils and other pollutants rom vessels into the sea and the dis-charge o land-based sewage and industrial water into the marineenvironment. It also prohibits the use o explosives, radioactive andother poisonous substances or shing, and bans dredging orsponges. It also provides or the demarcation o marine reserva-tions or the preservation o threatened marine organisms.

The General Peoples Committee Decision No. 37 o 2005,which declares a protected shing zone along the Liban coastline,prohibiting all methods o shing in the declared permitted zoneswithout advance permission issued b an ocial authorit to bedetermined b the GPC.

Liban legislation has set up several legal ramewors to conserve

biodiversit, directl and in man occasions indirectl, via the regu-lation o human activities that ma alter the status o the coun-trs biodiversit. Hereater are listed the main legal texts relatedto coastal and marine biodiversit, divided into national legislationand the adoption o relevant regional and international conventionsand treaties.

4.1. RELEvANT NATIONAL LEgIsLATION

Law No. 14 o 1989 is the basic legislation concerning theregulation o the use and conservation o marine wealth. It dealswith the tpe o equipment, both local and imported, allowed ormarine shing, the sizes o sh/species and other marine organ-isms allowed to be caught, and issues relating to the supervisionand control o the industr regarding saet issues.

Secretariat o Marine Wealth (SMW) Decision No. 71 o 1990,which elaborates the provisions o Law No. 14 and the proceduresgoverning its application, SMW Decision No. 80 o 1991, whichprovides technical explanations and specications or the imple-mentation o Law No. 14.

SMW Decision No. 95 o 1993, which prohibits the use omonolament nets and No. 11 hoos or shing.

SMW Decision No. 97 o 1993, relating to prohibitions on trawl-ing in specic areas during the Jul and August spawning periodor certain species. This decision was replaced b the GeneralPeoples Committee Decision No. 271 o 2004 which denesthose areas in which trawl shing is banned. In brie, this deci-sion prohibits trawlers rom shing in the dened areas during themonths o Ma, June, Jul, and species the areas within which thetrawlers are permitted to sh other than these areas.

Sea turtle protection is included in the decree issued b theSecretariat o Agriculture No. 453/1993 stating that All specieso turtles and tortoises are protected b law in Liba urthermorestating that An use o these species or its products (sin, eggs,

fesh) is banned b law in Liba and that An violation o thesearticles will be prosecuted within the legal sstem according toHunting Law No.28 o 1968.

4. Legal and institutional aspects related to biodiversitand marine and coastal conservation in Liba

Fishing village o Garabulli. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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The issues indicated above together with the absence o a nationalbiodiversit strateg and action plan ma lead to man other con-sequences, as listed below.

4.3.2. Inadequate legal frameworks

on conservation issues

Regardless o Libas adoption o several international and regionalconservation-oriented agreements, conventions and protocols,the national legislation sstem comes to a halt ater adopting thoseagreements, ailing to pursue adequate implementation in the ormo a properl integrated national conservation legal sstem.

There is still no list o protected species or habitats in Liba nor anupdating o the regulations on hunting and shing activities (hunting

was banned b law in 1998 but is still widel practiced illegall inman parts o the countr).

4.3.3. Lack of a comprehensive national study

on the status of biodiversity

One o the earl steps in the adoption o a biodiversit strateg andaction plan is to conduct a nationwide stud on the status o biodi-versit. Even toda, distribution studies and maps or man speciesare out o date: urthermore, the list o auna and fora is incom-plete. Although threats towards biodiversit are largel nown,relative quantication has not been clearl identied. Eorts madeb the EGA and MBRC in recent ears have contributed to clarisome o the msteries o Liban biodiversit, even though basedon short term surves and eld observations.

4.2. INTERNATIONAL AND REgIONAL CONvENTIONs

Liba has ratied several regional and international conventionsdealing with marine and coastal conservation. Man activities ormarine conservation in Liba were introduced and still unctionwithin the ramewor o national implementation o those conven-tions. The ollowing table summarizes Libas position towardsthese conventions.

Convention Adoption Ratifcation

The Convention on Wetlands o International Importance,especiall as Waterowl Habitat (RAMSAR)

1971 2000

The World Heritage Convention 1972 1978

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species o Wild Fauna and Flora 1973 2003

The Arican Convention on the Conservation o Nature and Natural Resources(Algiers Convention)

1968 1969

Barcelona Convention or Protection against Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea 1976 1979

The Convention on the Conservation o Migrator Species o Wild Animals (CMS) 1979 2002

Speciall Protected Areas and Biodiversit Protocol (1995)and its Annexes (amendment) 1995 1995

The Convention on Biological Diversit 1992 2001

The Agreement on the Conservation o Cetaceans o the Blac Sea,Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS)

2001 2002

4.3. gAPs ANALysIs

FOR ThE PROPER sELECTION OF sITEs

The ollowing are potential causes o the underdeveloped situationo nature conservation in Liba and its eects on the selection osites o conservation interest:

4.3.1 Delay in adopting a National Strategy on Biodiversity

Conservation and Action Plan (as of 2008)

A national strateg on biodiversit accompanied b an eectiveaction plan is the main stepping-stone to proper conservation oran countr. The strateg includes an analsis o the present situ-ation in terms o biodiversit, the denition o objectives and aims,and the development o an action plan or protecting biodiversitand dening was in which to use natural resources sustainabl.Liba has been a Part to the Convention on Biological Diversitsince its declaration in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. However, the devel-opment o implementation o this crucial convention has been slow.

This situation resulted rom several reasons, amongst them: Inadequac o trained personnel at TCEP and EGA, the main

authorit.

Lac o decision-maers awareness o the importance o sucha ramewor or the uture o nature conservation in Liba.

Lac o proper communication with the Convention Secretar-iat.

Absence o Liba rom most CBD meetings and COPs due toroutine and bureaucrac.

In 2002, an attempt to compile a drat national strateg wasaccomplished b the EGA but the drat submitted or adoption bthe General Peoples Congress was not approved. In 2009, the

EGA organised a national worshop to discuss contents and waso developing a national biodiversit strateg: the report is still tobe prepared.


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4.3.4. Coordination between national authorities

The role o conserving biodiversit in Liba is largel assumed bthe public sector (government agencies, research institutes anduniversities). However, when it comes to the duties o the govern-mental institutes responsible, a lac o coordination and confict-ing responsibilities are common, due to an overlap o mandatesbetween institutes when the were rst created b law (or decree).The wea role o universities is also a limiting actor, with ver lim-ited research or active involvement in national conservation wor.The majorit o NGOs are environmental in general and ver eware specialized in conservation wor, with ver restricted activitiesor eect due to administrative limitations and lac o unding.

4.3.5 . Governance of the protected areas sector

The traditional ounder o national pars and protected areas (onland at least) in the Mediterranean region has been the Agricul-ture sector. In Liba, the Secretariat o Agriculture was the soleentit responsible or da-to-da management o protected areasand national pars, via the technical committee or wildlie: 12 othese conservation sites were declared between 1978 and 1992.Decentralisation o protected area supervision and the appoint-ment o local provinces (Shabiat) to supervise protected areasand national pars, without proper preparation or such responsi-bilities, gave ormer private land owners the chance to reclaim sub-stantial parts o these areas, with the absence o clear legal texts

allowing local courts in man cases to reissue land ownership doc-uments or these locals (as in the the case o kou National Par).Due to the same legal shortcomings, the EGA and other national

institutes had no wa o protecting such areas, except faunting thecountrs moral commitment to the convention. Recentl, the Gen-eral Peoples Committee has issued a decree returning nationalgovernance o these areas to the national authorit responsibleor agricultural development, which is a step in the right direction:however, man o these sites are in urgent need o a proper man-agement plan in addition to trained human resources, in order tosustain inrastructure developments.

4.3.6. Lack of criteria for the selection of sites

of conservation interest

The selection o alread declared protected areas and nationalpars mainl concerned the protection o green areas (natural oraorested areas), except in the case o kou National Par and,partiall, Hisha reserve, where sstematic studies have beenundertaen b specialised teams. It is thereore dicult to convincenational staeholders to select new sites in the absence o agreednational criteria and a clear denition o the process whereb pro-tected areas or sites are declared o conservation interest. Thecriteria part should be partl covered b this undertaing.

Posidonia oceanica meadows along sand and roc coast in western Tripoli. RDG / RAC-SPA.

Right:

Micro-atoll oPosidonia, An Ghazala.

MF / RAC-SPA.


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This section examines the existing and planned networ o pro-

tected marine and coastal areas in Liba. Then, rom the discussionon criteria or the identication o sites o conservation interest to beused b di erent organisations at regional and international levels,a list o criteria to be applied to the Liban marine and coastal envi-ronment has been proposed. These criteria have allowed exper tsto propose 24 sites that are presented one b one with their maincharacteristics.

5.1. LIByAN sITEs ALREADy DECLARED AT NATIONAL

OR INTERNATIONAL LEvEL As PROTECTED AREAs

OR AREAs OF CONsERvATION INTEREsT

Four sites have been designated or are in the process o designa-tion:

Farwa lagoon and island (onl the lagoon part was declaredrecentl b the Marine Biolog Research Centre o Tajurah MBRC to be protected)

An Ghazalah (under processing b the EGA and MBRC)

Hisha nature reserve (under the governance o the AgricultureAuthorit management)

kou National Par (currentl lacs proper management, undsand personnel)

5.2. CRITERIA FOR ThE IDENTIFICATION OF sITEs

OF CONsERvATION INTEREsT IN ThE mARINE AND

COAsTAL ENvIRONmENT OF LIByA

The criteria or the selection o sites o conservation interest in themarine and coastal zone o Liba should be elaborated taing intoaccount the existing criteria dened at regional and internationallevels and the specic characteristics o the marine environmentin Liba. To be applicable b government institutions or NGOs,these criteria should also tae into account the legal and institu-tional ramewors that govern nature conservation in Liba and therelevant socio-economic contexts.

5.2.1. Proposed principles for elaboration

of the criteria

The ollowing three principles are considered as essential or thesuccess o the process:

Harmonisation o the criteria with the relevant regional and glo-bal initiatives.

Good coverage o the specic characteristics and ecologicaleatures o the Liban coast.

Feasibilit o the identication and selection o sites or buildinga coherent and representative networ o marine and coastalprotected areas, eeping in mind that data is scarce or somesites, but that the inormation available allows or a preliminarselection to be conrmed at a later point during eld research.

5.2.2. Relevant initiatives for inventorying/listing

of natural sites of interest

To ensure a satisactor level o harmonisation with relevant regionaland global initiatives, criteria developed within the ramewor o theCBD should be considered, as well as criteria or the selection o:

Speciall Protected Areas o Mediterranean Importance(SPAMI).

French ZNIEFF (Zones Naturelles dIntrt Ecologique Faunis-tique et Floristique).

World Heritage sites.

Important Bird Areas (IBAs) promoted b Bird Lie Interna-tional.

5. Conservation o the marine and coastalenvironment in Liba:present situation and uture challenges


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Be outstanding examples representing major stages in theearths histor, including the record o lie, signicant on-goinggeological processes in the development o landorms, or sig-nicant geomorphic or phsiographic eatures.

Be outstanding examples representing signicant on-goingecological and biological processes in the evolution and devel-opment o terrestrial, resh water, coastal and marine ecoss-tems and communities o plants and animals.

Contain the most important and signicant natural habitats orin-situ conservation o biological diversit, including those con-taining threatened species o outstanding universal value romthe point o view o science or conservation.

Criteria used or the selection o IBAs ocus on the importance othe area or threatened (bird) species. An IBA should thereore:

Contain signicant numbers o one or more globall threatenedspecies.

Be one o a set o sites that together hold a suite o restricted-range species or biome-restricted species.

Have exceptionall large numbers o migrator or congregatorspecies.

In the context o the Liban coast, the criteria or IBAs are particu-larl important as recent studies have conrmed the existence osites o high importance or the conservation o globall threatenedbird species.

CBD criteria include: uniqueness or rarit, special importance orlie histor stages o the species, importance o threatened spe-cies and habitats, vulnerabilit, ragilit, sensitivit, low recover,biological productivit, biological diversit, naturalness.

SPAMI criteria include:

Regional value, evaluated according to: uniqueness, naturalrepresentation, diversit (o species, communities, habitats orecosstems), naturalness, cultural representation, presence ohabitats that are critical to endangered, threatened or endemicspecies.

Scientic, educational or aesthetic interest.

The existence o threats liel to impair the ecological, biologi-

cal, aesthetic or cultural value o the area.

The criteria or selection o ZNIEFF include: vulnerabilit, naturalheritage value, rarit, aesthetic value, economic value and thespeed o regeneration.

Man o the criteria used or the selection o sites to be included inthe UNESCO World Heritage List are not relevant to natural sites.To be included in the List, a natural site should:

Be an outstanding example o a traditional human settlement,land-use, or sea-use which is representative o a culture (orcultures), or human interaction with the environment, especiallwhen it has become vulnerable under the impact o ir reversible

change. Contain superlative natural phenomena or areas o exceptional

natural beaut and aesthetic importance.

Micro-atoll oPosidonia o An Ghazala lagoon. RDG / RAC-SPA.


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Based on existing inormation and the knowledge o theexperts, 24 sites have been proposed. They are describedone by one in the ollowing section.

Ardea cinerea on aPosidonia micro-atoll, An Ghazala. RDG / RAC-SPA.

5.2.3. Proposed criteria for the Libyan coast

Following discussions regarding criteria, the experts have agreedon Priorit 1 criteria which are essential or the countr, and Priorit2 criteria or which data will be needed or urther evaluation o theinterest o the site and the importance o pressures and threats.

Priorit 1 criteria are:

Uniqueness or rarit.

Special importance or lie histor stages o the species con-cerned: sh nurser areas, coastal lagoons.

Importance or threatened or endangered species and habi-tats: the main species to be considered are:

Turtles (nesting sites, trawling areas with high concentration oturtles).

Mon seal.

Cartilaginous sh species.

Bird species (areas ullling IBA criteria).

Naturalness.

Existence o threats liel to impair the ecological, biological,aesthetic or cultural value o the area.

Priorit 2 criteria are:

Vulnerabil it, ragilit, sensitiv it.

Low recover, biological productiv it, biological diversit.


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Egptian government launched a project with the IUCN at Assal-oum to boost nature conservation through a public awareness pro-gram and the establishment o a marine protected area in Salumthat was declared in 2010. Joining this project will integrate theLiban side o the area and contribute to a rst trans-boundarconservation project in the region.

6.2.2 Abukammash-Farwa-Beban area

The Farwa lagoon and Abuammash area comprises the Libanstretch o the Gul o Gabes, an area nown or its high sher pro-ductivit, but also its vulnerabilit to pollution and other man-madethreats to the marine and coastal environment.

In act, Farwa might be the most important coastal and marinesite in western Liba, in terms o its high marine and coastal bio-diversit resulting rom ears o surves and studies in this area.The same applies to Biban lagoon (Bahiret El Biban) in Tunisia, aew ilometres rom the Liban border. This region is characterisedb exceptional importance in terms o sh and artisanal sheries,aquaculture, sea birds, seagrass meadows, land/seascape ea-tures and, above all, as one o the ew regions in the Mediterraneanto experience active tidal movements.

A project o a trans-boundar protected area between Tunisia andLiba would enhance the exchange o experience and collabora-tion between the two countries, and serve as a model o south-south cooperation.

6.3. OThER OPPORTUNITIEs

At the end o the process, it was also noted that current marinenowledge is mainl related to the nearshore marine environmentand that specic deep sea eatures could be considered, basedon uture research programs. In this respect, it appears evidentthat the submarine canon parallel to the coast along the Crenaicpromontor is an important eature in the movement o deep seawaters and species in the south-eastern par t o the Mediterranean.It could in par ticular acilitate the migration o species coming romthe Red Sea through the Suez Canal to the coast o Liba andespeciall the southern part o the Gul o Sirte.

6.1. ThE 24 PROPOsED sITEs

The 24 proposed sites are spread along the entire coast o Liba,identiing sites or species o interest or conservation, the purposeo this project: but also, once created, supporting the develop-ment o specic activities such as education, awareness-raisingand sustainable tourism.

The experts have been able to gather inormation on these sites,and in coming ears it will be possible to develop research andprovide more details on Libas marine and coastal biodiversit.

6.2. OPPORTUNITy FOR TRANs-BOUNDARy

CONsERvATION sITEs

In addition, the experts have been able to propose two options ortransboundar conservation, one with Tunisia and one with Egpt,allowing or exchanges o experience and the sharing o data, man-agement expertise and tools or conservation. Southern countriesare aware that conservation o the marine and coastal environmentis not onl a national concern, but also a regional or subregionalconcern, since the transer o species, but also o impacts, pollu-tion or invasive species does not stop at national rontiers.

6.2.1 Assaloum area

Marine and coastal boundaries between Liba and Egpt are

characterised b low human population densit and lower levelso anthropogenic disturbance. The coastal area rom Burdiah toSalloum eatures a high to medium elevated coastline, with sand-stone clis and marine caves, intersected with wadi mouths whereshort pristine sand beaches can be ound. Seagrass meadowsare quite immense, providing a productive habitat or several raremarine species such as n whales, green turtles and even monseals which have been sighted in this area.

This area is also important or monitoring the passage o lessipsianRed Sea marine species, as the north-west coast rom Egpt toLiba is one o two main entrances or alien Red Sea species. Thesite is also important as a secondar fwa or thousands o birdseach autumn and spring: man birds cross the desert or join theriver Nile fwa via this area.

Local traditions (o Bedouins) have some impact, however,on marine and coastal biodiversit, such as unregulated wildliehunting, blast shing and illegal trade in wild species. In 2007, the

6. Identiied sites o conservation interest to consideror the Liban networ o Marine and Coastal ProtectedAreas


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6.4. IdentIfIed sItes of conservatIon Interestto Include In the lIbyan network of MarIne and coastal

Protected areas

1 Wadi Maseed

2 Wadi Turghat

3 Ain Wadi Kaam

4 Sebkhet Qaser Ahmed-Taourgha Complex

5 Ain Taourgha

6 Sandy beaches and waters o Al Araar-Bouerat lahsoun

7 Al-Thalateen Beach

8 Sandy beaches o Bishr, Ajdabiya and Zwuitina

9 Garah Island

10 Shat Elbadine

11 Al-Mtea Beach

12 Sebkhet Jeliana-Benghazi

13 Ain Zayanah

14 Tolmitah-Ugla rocky coast

15 Kou Beaches

16 Sebkhet Ain Azzarga

17 Sebkhet Ain Shakika (Ain Eshgaiga)

18 Wadi Khalij

19 Wadi Hamassah

20 Gul o Bumba

21 Abulrais Beach

22 North beaches o Ain Al Ghazalah

23 Beaches o Gurdaba

24 Gul o Burdiya (Bardiyah)

300 km

trIPolI

1 2

3

4&5 6

7

8

910

11

1213

14171615

1819

24

2021

2223


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Site name Wadi Maseed

Region (Shabiya) Tripoli

Location 32 47 N 13 42 E

Quality and importance Spring ed in origin, the Wadi Maseed ows through continental sand dunes (with reorestation usingAcacia, Eucalyptus and other alien species). Occasionally, ater heavy rain the sand bar is cut and thewadi is connected to the sea. River water is resh, quite deep in places, with reedy vegetation (Typha,Juncus, Phragmites). There is a relatively small area o open water and ringing vegetation o about100 hectares at the mouth o the river limited by the sandbar, a beach and a rocky outcrop oshore.Extensive beds oPosidonia oceanica are present oshore.

Karabulli as a whole is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLie International because it meetscriterion A3 or three biome-restricted species o the Mediterranean North Arica biome (Alectoris barbara, Sylvia melanocephala and Syvlia conspicillata), and one species o the Sahara-Sindianbiome (Turdoides ulvus).

Wadi Maseed is a wintering site or several MAP seabird species.

Conservat

informe medio ambiente en libia 2011 del iucn

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