geo.wikisort.org - Reservoir

Lake Ichkeul (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.

Ichkeul National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Ichkeul mountain
Location	Tunisia
Nearest city	Mateur
Coordinates	37°10′0″N 9°40′0″E
Area	126 km²
Established	1980
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Natural
Criteria	x
Designated	1980 (4th session)
Reference no.	8
Region	Africa
Endangered	1996–2006
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Ichkeul
Designated	24 November 1980
Reference no.	213[1]

History

In the reign of the Hafsid dynasty, Lake Ichkuel was a reserve during the 13th century. It later became the property of the public domain in the early 20th century during French rule. Since 1980, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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.[2]

Ichkeul National Park

Ichkeul National Park is a World Heritage Site located in the north of Tunisia, 25 km southwest of Bizerte and 15 km north of Mateur.[3] 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.

Gallery

• 
  View of Ichkeul National Park
• 
  Lake landscape
• 
  Lakefront

References

External links

• UNESCO website
• WCMC datasheet
• ACST Photos: Exploring Lak Ichkeul
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

На других языках

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- [en] Lake Ichkeul

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[es] Parque nacional del Ichkeul

El Parque Nacional del Ichkeul (المحمية الوطنية إشكل), espacio natural situado en el norte de Túnez, en el distrito de Bizerta, es uno de los humedales más importantes de África del Norte, y uno de los pocos que no se secan en todo el año. Sirve de refugio de invernada a 180 especies de aves, algunas raras. Fue declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco en 1980 por «contener los hábitats naturales más representativos e importantes para la conservación in situ de la diversidad biológica, donde sebreviven especies amenazadas de un valor universal excepcional desde el punto de vista de la ciencia o de la conservación». Sus coordenadas geográficas son 37°10′N 9°40′E.

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