Khor Kalba, Sharjah

Khor Kalba

About the site

The site is located in Kalba, which is on the Eastern coast of the UAE and belongs to the Emirate of Sharjah. Kalba is home to a Conservation Reserve that encompasses a large mangrove forest around its creek, namely Khor Kalba. The Khor Kalba Conservation Reserve, managed by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), also provides habitat for the Arabian collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris kalbaensis), an endemic species which can only be found in Kalba.

About the project in Khor Kalba

In Khor Kalba, 2,600 saplings were planted in 2022, 1,000 saplings in 2023, and 1,000 saplings in 2024, totaling 4,600 planted saplings, which is equivalent to 0.6 ha. The aim of the project in Khor Kalba is to plant mangroves along the banks of the artificial lagoon to assist with the regeneration of the wider ecosystem through a holistic approach. The mangroves could also help stabilize the banks of the lagoon and eventually provide additional habitat for endemic species. In addition to planting activities, biodiversity and vegetation data were collected through surveys. Given that the site provides great opportunities for outreach activities and citizen science, volunteers joined on some of the activities.

Khor Kalba

Field Activities

Community engagement & Restoration

A total of 1000 mangroves were planted with 15 volunteers across the Kalba lagoon. 200 saplings were planted in existing areas which had been grazed and 800 saplings in a new area located in the North Island of the lagoon. The north island had soils perfect for the growth of new mangroves and was located opposite the existing restoration area which has had good survival rates.

Community engagement & Restoration

On Saturday 26th November, with the help of volunteers and workers, a total of 2,600 mangrove saplings (watch our Instagram reel) was planted at suitable sites along the lagoon.

Saplings grown in a mangrove nursery are transported to site and planted at pre-determined locations.

Baseline Surveys

The objective of this biodiversity survey was to collect data prior to our planting activities to be able to compare and understand the impact of additional mangroves on the environment. Our team and volunteers collected baseline data from 8 pre-determined plots (watch our Instagram reel). Data collected covered details of existing mangroves, wild plants in the area, crabs count and their burrows, number of snails in a sample area, number of species of birds seen throughout the day and signs of insect pollinators and pests.

Monitoring

The restoration sites were visited every other month after planting to observe any major disturbances or adjustments needed. We also collected information with some volunteers on the status of the restored mangroves by tracking their health status which is reported using the projects monitoring dashboard to track the progress of the project.