One of few wetlands in Syria, Sabkhat al-Jabbul Nature Reserve near Aleppo is a large, permanent saline lake surrounded by semi-arid steppe. The lake is an important staging and wintering area for large numbers of waterbirds and for globally threatened species. The lake supports more than 1% of the world population of Greater Flamingo.

The lake’s banks are not yet rich with vegetation; it is therefore not suitable for cormorants, herons or egrets. Within the site, land use is limited to salt production. The surrounding areas are used primarily for agriculture and livestock grazing. The lake has been identified as an Important Bird Area.

Threats to the site are due to the lack of awareness in the local communities of the importance of the wetland, and the lack of staff trained in wetland management.

Ramsar site no. 935.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands came into force for the Syrian Arab Republic on 5 July 1998. Syria presently has 1 site designated as a Wetland of International Importance, with a surface area of 10,000 hectares.

Reference: www.ramsar.org; www.birdlife.org