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KBA Survey & Assessment Efforts

Surveys were conducted primarily in winter and summer from 2005 to 2012 and  have  focused on collecting data on birds, plants, mammals, fish,  benthic  invertebrates, and plankton, as well as water quality and soil  parameters.   The goal of the project is to identify sites that are  globally,  regionally, and/or nationally important for their biological  diversity and  advocate for their protection. 

Since the start of the Nature Iraq KBA Project nine bird species have been added to the Iraqi list. In addition, the KBA team have discovered or confirmed 55 new breeding bird species for Iraq. Important breeding range extensions for at least 30 bird species were documented as well as greatly increasing our knowledge of the status of all birds in Iraq.  The presence of Smooth-coated Otter in the Mesopotamian Marshlands has been confirmed and the status on Wild Goat, Lynx and other species in Iraq has also been updated. The illustrated field guide to the birds of Iraq (in Arabic) and the recently published papers in Sandgrouse on the checklist of the birds of Iraq and new breeding bird records for Iraq are a testimony to these ground-breaking surveys.

Conservation staff are now undertaking the analysis and review of all KBA information including reviewing the data collected since 2005 in preparation for the release of the Inventory of Iraq’s KBAs in a book format (planned to be released in 2013/2014). In 2012, three team retreats took place (in July, November and December) with the KBA team and outside reviewers to finalize the site assessments. 

The KBA Team

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Many individuals and organizations have participated in the KBA Program over the years.  The following list is a (mostly) complete list of key contributors to the actual survey effort over the years*:

A Hamad, A. Kh. Ala (BH), A. M. Mahir (BH), A. Mohammad (IMOE), A. Qais, A. S. Al-Zubaidi, A.A. Sfeyh (IMoE), A.G. Radhi (NI), A.Kamel (IMOE), A.M. Hassan (KMoE), A.N. Abass (IMOE), A.N. Salman (IMoE), A.N. Awla (KMoE), A.O. Salman (IMoE), B. Ahmed (Trainee), B. Ali (IMoE), B.A. Salih (KMoE), Bestoon (Trainee), D.A. Mohammed (KMoE), Dh.M. Al-Mandalawi (IMOE), Dilzar (KMoE), Dr M. Kh Haba (UofB), G. Sabah (NI), G.B. Al-Waili (IMoE), H. Ahmad (IMOE), H. Ahmed (NI), H. Mahdi (NI), H. Barwary (Duhok Environmental Police), H. Ibrahem  (IMoE), H. Ismail (Uof Salahadin), H. Shibil, H.N. Asad (IMOE), H.S. Abd, I.M. Abd, K. Ararat (NI), K. Jawad (Trainee), K.H. Mohammed (KMoE), Kh. Faik (Uof Sulaimani), L.A. Al-Obeidi (NI), L.S. Khidr (KMoE), M. Ali (IMOE) , M. Qadir (KEPIB & NI), M. Saeed (KEPIB), M. Talib (Trainee), M. Turki (Trainee), M.A. Salim (NI), M.A. Rasul (KMoE), M.A.T. Al-Saffar (NI), M.B. Slewa (KMoE), M.F. Abd (IMoE), M.H. Jalal (KMoE), M.Sh. Minjal, N. Abdulhassan (NI), N.J. Abdel Zahra, O.F. Al-Sheikhly (UoBaghdad), Q.N. Abid (IMOE), R. A. Alewy (BH), S. Abdulrahman (NI), S. Kadhim, S. Sadiq (UofDuhok), S.A. Al-Razak (IMOE), S.H. Hussen (Trainee), S.I. Mohammed (Uof Salahadin), Z. Salman (Trainee), Z.Ch. Al-Asadi, & Z.H. Salih. 

*Note: 
  • IMoE is the Iraqi Ministry of Environment
  • KEPIB is the Kurdistan Environmental Protection & Improvement Board
  • KMoE is the former Kurdistan Ministry of Environment (now the KEPIB)
  • BH is Blue Horizons Laboritories

KBA Reviewer Panel