Kaboré Tambi - Nazinga - Sissili complex (6028)
Burkina Faso, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Kaboré Tambi - Nazinga - Sissili complex
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.4500, Longitude: -1.4167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 260 to 260
Area of KBA (km2): 2830.37827
Protected area coverage (%): 96.72
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The near-contiguous areas of the Parc National Kaboré Tambi (PNKT) (155,500 ha), the Nazinga Game Ranch (94,000 ha), the Sissili Hunting Concession (32,700 ha) and the village hunting zones surrounding Nazinga and Sissili (54,300 ha) form a complex of reserves located about 100–130 km south of Ouagadougou, near and, at one point, along the international border with Ghana. The PNKT is composed of an extended stretch of the valley of the south-easterly flowing Nazinon river (formerly the Red Volta). The park is crossed by the main road from Ouagadougou to Bolgatanga in northern Ghana. Nazinga lies a little to the south-west and, along the line of the Sissili river, which runs largely parallel to the Nazinon, is contiguous with the Sissili Hunting Concession. Between Nazinga and PNKT lies an area of village hunting zones. There remains, however, a 5-km gap (which is included in the IBA) between the hunting zones and the park; efforts are being made to establish a corridor. The vegetation of the northern part of the PNKT is that of the northern Sudan savanna, while that of the remainder is typical southern Sudan/northern Guinea savanna of the Mouhoun sector and includes shrub savanna, tree-savanna and gallery forests. The topography is varied with granite outcrops, lateritic plateaus and several isolated tall hills.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. To date, 122 species have been identified in the PNKT while the total for Nazinga is 321, which includes seven species of stork and 43 raptor species. Non-bird biodiversity: In addition to about 15,000 large wild ungulates of 11 common species, at least 500 Loxodonta africana (EN) occur, as does Panthera leo (VU).
Habitats
Land use: hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 58 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 3 | |
| Forest | 37 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The PNKT was established in 1976 and is named after a game ranger who was killed there in 1991. Management of all but the northern portion of the park is leased to the national NGO NATURAMA. Nazinga Game Ranch was started in the early 1970s by a Canadian NGO (ADEFA). It is currently managed by the Direction de la Faune et des Chasses with some support from the United Nations Development Programme. Sissili Classified Forest was established in 1955 and was leased to a hunting concessionaire in 1996. Village hunting zones around Nazinga and Sissili provide buffer zones around the production areas and help incorporate the surrounding communities in the management of the ecosystem. Wildlife densities in Nazinga are generally the highest for Burkina. Although management of the Sissili Hunting Concession only started in 1994, wildlife populations are quickly rebuilding (in large part due to movement from Nazinga), thanks to energetic protection, led by former poachers. The imminent expulsion of pastoralists from the western half of the Sissili is expected to improve conditions. It is important for the large mammal populations that a corridor between the PNKT and Nazinga is established quickly.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Christenson and Forcier (1975), Knowles et al. (1990), Walsh (1998), Weessie and Belemsobgo (1997).