Hawar Islands
Group of islands in the Gulf of Bahrain
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Related on Lably
Through Archipelago, Ramsar Convention and International Court of Justice
Description
The islands used to be one of the settlements of the Bahraini branch of the Dawasir who settled there in the early 19th century. The islands were first surveyed in 1820, when they were called the Warden's Islands, and two villages were recorded. They are now uninhabited, other than a police garrison and a hotel on the main island; access to all but Hawar island itself is severely restricted. Local fishermen are allowed to fish in adjacent waters and there is some recreational fishing and tourism on and around the islands. Fresh water has always been scarce; historically it was obtained by surface collection and even today, with the desalination plant, additional supplies have to be brought in.
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Geography
Despite their proximity to Qatar (they are only about 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) from the Qatari mainland whilst being about 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the main islands of Bahrain), most of the islands belong to Bahrain, having been a part of a dispute between Bahrain and Qatar which was resolved in 2001. The islands were formerly coincident with the district or Minṭaqat Juzur Ḥawār (مِنْطَقَة جُزُر حَوَار) and are now administered as part of the Southern Governorate of Bahrain. The land area of the islands is approximately 52 km2 (20 sq mi).
Although there are 36 islands in the group, many of the smaller islands are little more than sand or shingle accumulations on areas of exposed bedrock molded by the ongoing processes of sedimentation and accretion. The World Heritage Site application named 8 major islands, which conforms to the description of the islands when first surveyed as consisting of 8 or 9 islands. It has often been described as an archipelago of 16 islands. Jinan Island, to the south of Hawar island, is not legally considered to be a part of the group and is owned by Qatar.
Flora and fauna
There are small herds of Arabian oryx and sand gazelle on Hawar island, and the seas around support sea turtles and a large population of dugongs.
The islands are home to many bird species. The archipelago has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of western reef egrets, Socotra cormorants (with some 200,000–300,000 adults recorded in 1992, making it the largest known breeding concentration in the world), Saunders's and white-cheeked terns, and sooty falcons. Other breeding birds include Caspian and bridled terns, and ospreys. Wintering birds include great crested grebes and greater flamingos.
Conservation
The islands were listed as a Ramsar site in 1997. In 2002, the Bahraini government applied to have the islands recognised as a World Heritage Site due to their unique environment and habitat for endangered species; the application was ultimately unsuccessful.
Administration
The islands were formerly coincident with the region or Minṭaqat of Juzur Ḥawār (مِنْطَقَة جُزُر حَوَار) and are now administered as part of the Southern Governorate of Bahrain.
Jinan Island is administered as part of Al-Shahaniya Municipality of Qatar.
Access
The islands are connected through a 25 km (16 mi) ferry ride from Manama and are reported to have a potential to be developed as a beach tourism destination.
List of islands
Hawar archipelago
By far the largest island is Hawar, which accounts for more than 41 km2 (16 sq mi) of the 54.5 km2 (21.0 sq mi) land area. Following in size are Suwād al Janūbīyah, Suwād ash Shamālīyah, Rubud Al Sharqiyah, Rubud Al Gharbiyah, and Muhazwarah (Umm Hazwarah).
The following were not considered as part of the Hawar islands in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment, being located between Hawar and the Bahrain Islands and not disputed by Qatar, but have been included in the Hawar archipelago by the Bahrain government as part of the 2002 World Heritage Site application.
Janan Island
Janan (or Jinan) Island, a small island south of Hawar island, was also considered in the 2001 ICJ judgment. Based on a previous agreement when both Qatar and Bahrain were under British occupation, it was judged to be separate from the Hawar islands and so considered by the court separately. It was awarded to Qatar.