Palestine - Wadi Gaza Coastal Wetlands

The Wadi is distinct for its twists and turns, notably it makes eight curves when it crosses the Gaza Strip. The Wadi banks also support a number of terraces. Its width varies from place to place, and gets wider near its mouth where it reaches about 100 m. Six wadis end into the main Wadi, the most important of which are Abu Qatroun Wadi and Ghalbeh Wadi. Abu Qatroun Wadi cuts through the area north and Ghalbeh Wadi cuts through the area south of Wadi Gaza. The geographical position of Palestine and the location of the Gaza Strip at the corner of the land bridge connecting the continents of Africa and Eurasia, make it a bottleneck for migratory birds. The passage of many migratory birds between the Orient and the Nile valley also takes place through the Gaza Strip. Thousands of ducks, herons, storks, cranes, flamingos, waders, raptors, quails, passerines and other birds have been reported to pass through the Gaza Strip. The most common endemic bird is the Palestinian sunbird (Nectarinia osea) found throughout the year at the Gaza Strip. Studies show that there is an urgent need to protect the Wadi Gaza and it’s surrounding vegetation communities as these habitats contain the highest value for the flora and fauna. The threats to these habitats are quite severe, Wadi Gaza faces many environmental problems that affect the public health and is used as a point to collect sewage from the middle area refugee camps and as a solid waste-dumping site.