Runn of Kutch. 05/11/02; Sindh; 566,375 ha; 24°23'N 070°05'E. Wildlife Sanctuary. Part of the great Thar desert and comprising stablized sand dunes, some more than 170m in height, with broad inter-dunal valleys of alluvial soil, integral with the large Rann of Kutch across the frontier with India, which includes permanent saline marshes, coastal brackish lagoons, tidal mudflats, and estuarine habitats. The site supports many locally and globally threatened species, including the Great Indian bustard (Choriotis nigriceps), Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata), Sarus crane (Grus antigone), and hyena (Hyeana hyaena) and supports more than 1% of the biogeographical population of flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber and P. minor. Some 500,000 agro-pastoralists live in 330 villages/hamlets in the site area, and rich archaelogical remains include three giant temples dating from 1375-1449. Scarcity of water remains the potential threat to the ecosystem. WWF-Pakistan and Sindh authorities have carried out work with GEF funding and a management plan is in preparation. Ramsar site no. 1285. Most recent RIS information: 2001.