Ichkeul lake

Ichkeul National Park
IUCN category II (national park)

Ichkeul mountain
Map showing the location of Ichkeul National Park
Location Tunisia
Nearest city Mateur
Coordinates 37°10′0″N 9°40′0″E / 37.16667°N 9.66667°E / 37.16667; 9.66667Coordinates: 37°10′0″N 9°40′0″E / 37.16667°N 9.66667°E / 37.16667; 9.66667
Area 126 km²
Established 1980
Type Natural
Criteria x
Designated 1980 (4th session)
Reference no. 8
State Party  Tunisia
Region Arab States
Endangered 1996–2006

Ichkeul Lake (Arabic: بحيرة اشكل‎‎) is a lake in northern Tunisia, located 20 kilometres ( 12 miles) to Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. The lake and wetlands of Ichkeul National Park are an important stopping-over point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each year. Among the lake's visitors are ducks, geese, storks, and pink flamingoes. Dam construction on the lake's feeder rivers has produced major changes to the ecological balance of the lake and wetlands.

History

The Ichkeul lake

Because dams have sharply reduced the freshwater inflow to the lakes and marshes, the reedbeds, sedges, and other fresh-water plant species have been replaced with salt-loving plants. These changes have produced a sharp reduction in the migratory bird populations, which depend on the mix of plants that used to exist.

According to the UNESCO Website, the Tunisian government has undertaken some steps to retain freshwater and reduce salinity, and the lake was removed from UNESCO's list of World heritage in danger in 2006.

However some reports from the World Conservation Union suggest that the salinity has already become excessively high and the possibility for rehabilitation may be rapidly disappearing.[1]

Ichkeul National Park

Ichkeul National Park is a World Heritage Site located in the north of Tunisia, 25 km southwest of Bizerte and 15km north of Mateur.[2] The park has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1980, and between 1996 and 2006 the park has also been on the group's list of World Heritage in Danger. The park is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture of Tunisia.


References

  1. ↑ "Ichkeul Lake, Tunisia : Image of the Day". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 0001-11-30. Retrieved 2017-07-01. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ↑ "Ichkeul National Park 8" (PDF). UNESCO: World Heritage. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
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