Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management in the Iraqi Marshlands Screening Study on Potential World Heritage Nomination Tobias Garstecki and Zuhair Amr IUCN REGIONAL OFFICE FOR WEST ASIA 1 The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN. Published by: IUCN ROWA, Jordan Copyright: © 2011 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: Garstecki, T. and Amr Z. (2011). Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management in the Iraqi Marshlands – Screening Study on Potential World Heritage Nomination. Amman, Jordan: IUCN. ISBN: 978-2-8317-1353-3 Design by: Tobias Garstecki Available from: IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) Um Uthaina, Tohama Str. No. 6 P.O. Box 942230 Amman 11194 Jordan Tel +962 6 5546912/3/4 Fax +962 6 5546915 [email protected] www.iucn.org/westasia 2 Table of Contents 1 Executive summary .....................................................................................................................7 2 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................10 3 Methodology .............................................................................................................................11 3.1 Geographical subdivision of the southern Marshes of Iraq .................................................. 11 3.2 General approach ..............................................................................................................13 3.3 Collection of data and information relevant to the natural World Heritage criteria ................ 13 3.4 Collection of data and information relevant to marsh integrity ............................................. 14 3.5 Collection of data and information on current and past management .................................. 15 3.6 Support to the development of a management planning framework .................................... 15 3.7 Support to network development ........................................................................................16 3.8 Resource compilation ........................................................................................................16 4 The Marshes’ values in relation to the World Heritage criteria .................................................... 17 4.1 The concept of OUV and its ramifications ........................................................................... 17 4.2 Integrity as a cross-cutting dimension of OUV .................................................................... 17 4.3 Application of World Heritage criterion vii ........................................................................... 19 4.3.1 Do the Marshes contain or represent superlative natural phenomena? ....................... 19 4.3.2 Do the Marshes contain exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance? .......... 20 4.3.3 Integrity of the Marshes related to World Heritage criterion vii ..................................... 22 4.3.4 Summary: Applicability of World Heritage criterion vii to the Marshes ......................... 22 4.3.5 Knowledge gaps and research needs ......................................................................... 23 4.4 Application of World Heritage criterion viii .......................................................................... 24 4.4.1 Preliminary analysis of applicability of relevant elements of criterion viii ...................... 24 4.4.2 Integrity of the Marshes related to World Heritage criterion viii .................................... 25 4.4.3 Summary: Applicability of World Heritage criterion viii to the Marshes ......................... 27 4.4.4 Knowledge gaps and research needs ......................................................................... 27 4.5 Application of World Heritage criterion ix ............................................................................ 28 4.5.1 Ecological succession in the Marshes ........................................................................ 29 4.5.2 Seasonal migrations of birds and other fauna ............................................................. 31 4.5.3 Ongoing and past evolutionary processes leading towards speciation ........................ 32 4.5.4 Overall applicability of World Heritage criterion ix to the Marshes ............................... 33 4.6 Application of World Heritage criterion x ............................................................................. 34 4.6.1 Flora and vegetation ..................................................................................................34 4.6.2 Ichthyofauna ..............................................................................................................44 4.6.3 Herpetofauna .............................................................................................................55 4.6.4 Avifauna.....................................................................................................................58 4.6.5 Mammals ...................................................................................................................70 4.6.6 Invertebrates ..............................................................................................................75 3 4.6.7 Integrity of the Marshes related to World Heritage criterion x ...................................... 79 4.6.8 Summary: Applicability of World Heritage criterion x to the Marshes ........................... 80 4.7 Global comparative analysis ..............................................................................................82 4.7.1 Criteria for the global comparative analysis ................................................................ 82 4.7.2 Possible sites for global comparative analysis ............................................................ 83 5 Overall integrity of the Marshes ................................................................................................. 85 5.1 Oil development as an emerging threat to the integrity of the Marshes ............................... 87 6 Protection and management of the Marshes .............................................................................. 90 6.1 Protection and management requirements according to the World Heritage Convention..... 90 6.2 Existing and past management initiatives for the Marshes .................................................. 91 6.2.1 Criteria for the assessment of existing and past management initiatives and plans ..... 91 6.2.2 Existing and past management initiatives ................................................................... 91 6.3 Management planning for a possible future World Heritage site ....................................... 107 6.3.1 Meeting the standards of a good management plan ................................................. 107 6.3.2 The management planning process .......................................................................... 107 6.3.3 The contents of the management plan......................................................................110 6.4 Critical aspects of management planning for a World Heritage site in the Marshes ........... 111 6.4.1 Water management..................................................................................................111 6.4.2 Marsh restoration and Paragraph 116 of the WHC Operational Guidelines ............... 113 6.4.3 Conservation and ecosystem management .............................................................. 114 6.4.4 Participation of local stakeholders ............................................................................ 115 6.5 Definition of the boundaries of the possible nominated area ............................................. 118 6.5.1 Application of general WHC boundary setting principles to the Marshes ................... 118 6.5.2 Buffer zones.............................................................................................................120 6.5.3 Possible consideration of a nomination of the Marshes as a serial site...................... 121 6.5.4 Need for trans-boundary cooperation regarding Al-Hawizeh Marsh........................... 122 7 Network development ..............................................................................................................124 7.1 Identification of key experts ..............................................................................................124 7.2 Gaps in the existing capacity and expertise ...................................................................... 126 7.3 Further steps in network development and planning preparation ...................................... 127 7.3.1 Stakeholder representatives in the planning team and citizen advisory board(s) ....... 127 7.3.2 Convening the stakeholder and expert network .......................................................