Conkouati-Douli National Park-Continental sector (6089)
Congo, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Parc National de Conkouati-Douli: Secteur continental
Central coordinates: Latitude: -3.8806, Longitude: 11.5039
System: terrestrial, freshwater, marine
Elevation (m): 0 to 830
Area of KBA (km2): 3134.199131
Protected area coverage (%): 99.91
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Situated in the southwest of Congo, on the Atlantic coast, this KBA is the continental part of the Conkouati-Douli National Park which is Congo’s most biodiverse park. Conkouati shares its northern border with Mayumba National Park (MNP) in Gabon, together forming the Mayumba-Conkouati Transfrontier Park. From west to east, the site ranges from the beach of the Atlantic Ocean and coastal habitats, lagoons and mangroves, enclosed savannas,wetlands, the mountainous zones of the Mayombian forest, and the Niari savanna. This wide spectrum of habitats is home to a very diverse range of species, many of which are globally threatened, including African Forest Elephants, Western Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Mandrills, and Red-capped Mangabeys. Thirty-five percent of Congo’s coastline lies within Conkouati, providing one of the most important nesting sites in Africa for five integrally protected marine turtle species, particularly Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles. The KBA covers 3466 km2 and ranges from 0 to over 800m above sea level.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site is the continental part of the larger Conkouati-Douli National Park created in 1999. Conkouati-Douli National Park has a wide range of species including the Critically Endangered Western Gorilla, which triggers criterion A1c, Chimpanzee (EN, A1a and A1c), Mandrill (VU, A1b and A1d), African Forest Elephant (CR, A1a and A1c), Giant Ground Pangolin (EN, A1c), Red-capped Mangabey (EN, A1a and A1c), Grey Parrot (EN, A1c), and Aubry's Flapshell Turtle (VU, A1d) that underpin the qualification of this part of the most diverse protected area of the Republic of Congo as a KBA. Five plant species also trigger this site as a KBA : Salacia arenicola (A1b and B1), Synsepalum congolense (A1a, B1), Cassipourea carringtoniana (A1a and B1), Baphia vili (B1) and Nephthytis mayombensis (B1).
Additional biodiversity: A very diverse National Park with both brackish and freshwater lagoons and lakes, littoral areas that include important marine turtle nesting beaches (although not enough to trigger a KBA), coastal and inland swamp forests, lowland closed-canopy terra firma forest, coastal and inland savannas, and a mountain range that rises to 830 metres asl. Regular surveys 2000-2013 showed that the forest elephant population increased (statistically significantly) at this site. African Manatee occurs here, but not in sufficient numbers to trigger a KBA.
Manageability of the site: This KBA is under Government management through the Ministry of Forest Economy, which has signed a partnership with the NGO "Noe Parcs": https://parcsdenoe.org/en/parcs-congo/
Supersedes another site: The proposed KBA "Conkouati-Douli National Park-Marine Area" contains the marine part of this (existing) KBA. So this existing KBA is going to be entirely terrestrial (continental) and the other one will be entirely marine.
Other site values: The Babongos have customary resource rights in the North East of the Park.
Delineation rationale: The KBA delineation follows the Conkouati-Douli National Park (WDPA ID: 313401) -Continental sector limits (i.e from the beach inland), These limits are approved by the MEF (Ministry of Forest Economy, Government of Congo)- the limits were revised by a partnership between MEF and WRI (World Resources Institute) in the mid- 2010s to improve their alignment with rivers and other geographical features, and to refine the edges. The other proposed KBA "Conkouati-Douli National Park-Marine Area" contains the marine part of the protected area. So this existing KBA is going to be entirely terrestrial/continental and the other one will be entirely marine. The northwestern and northeastern limits follow the country boundary between Congo and Gabon; the southern limit follows, from the west, the beach, then the Noumbi river, then the National Road number 5 to the village of Tchizalamou, and then turns north following a smaller road to the village of Ikalou and then follows the Noumbi River again, northwards to the Gabon border.
NB: The shapefile of this KBA has been slightly modified in its eastern part to follow the border boundary of the GADM (Global Administrative Areas). It does not call into question the shapefile of the official boundaries of this park as defined in its decree of creation.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: This KBA starts at the Atlantic coast at the high tide mark and runs back from the coast through a series of habitats. These are principally tropical lowland forest (terra ferma, seasonally flooded, and swamp forest) but also include areas of lightly wooded savanna, some freshwater lakes, brackish lagoons, estuarine habitat, and a river (the Ngongo).
IUCN habitat types include the following:
Along the shore are the lagoons (less than 1% of the area) : (13.4 Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes, and 1.7. Forest – Subtropical/tropical mangrove vegetation above high tide level) and two estuaries (also (less than 1% of the area) (9.10 Estuaries).
Further back from the coast are the main forests of the site: 1.6. Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland (this covers almost 80% the site, and these run back to around 60km from the coast); and 1.8. Forest – Subtropical/tropical swamp (mostly within 20km of the coast (about 5% of the KBA).;
The freshwater lakes (less than 1% of the area) also lie within 20km from the coast (5.5. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha).
Within ten kilometres back from the coast lie the patches of savanna, which comprise about 3% of the KBA. (IUCN habitat types: 3.6. Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical moist).
Throughout the KBA are the watercourses: 5.1. Wetlands (inland) – Permanent rivers/streams/creeks (includes waterfalls); 5.2. Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks.
Land use: The mangement of this protected area is a partnership between MEF (Government: Ministry of Forest Economy) with the NGO "Noe Parcs": https://parcsdenoe.org/en/parcs-congo/
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Savanna | 20 | Savanna - Moist |
| Forest | 80 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: This KBA is subject to hunting for bushmeat, and, in the past, elephant poaching for ivory. The latter could become a serious issue in the future if protection efforts cease for any reason, as the site has a large elephant population and could be once again a pole of attraction for ivory poachers.
Some fishing in the lagoons, lakes and rivers occurs, sometimes using unsustainable techniques (setting fire to lakeside vegetation. blocking the estuaries or watercourses completely with fishing nets, etc.)
Offshore lie oil drilling rigs, and pollution sometimes affects the terrestrial part of the shoreline where marine turtles come out of the ocean each year to nest.
Some illegal gold mining/ gold panning is carried out within the Park- both in the Kouboula mountains in the East of this KBA and along the lowlands along the coast. The latter perturbs the watercourses both by disturbing the riverbeds and by creating some pollution from the way in which gold is extracted.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: MDDEFE (2010) Plan d'amenagement- Parc National de Conkouati-Douli 2011-2015. p. 113. Ministère de du Développement Durable, de L’Economie Forestière et de l’Environnement; Projet d’Appui à la Gestion (PAG); Parc National Conkouati-Douli (PNCD) Brazzaville, Congo.
Contributors: The experts who examined the data for this site are the following:
Freshwater fish: Victor Mamonekene (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et de Foresterie, Brazzaville, Congo);
Herps and killifish: Laurent Chirio (Brazzaville French School);
Larger Mammals: Fiona Maisels WCS);
Small mammals: Terrence Demos (Chicago Field Museum of Natural History); Julian Kerbis (Chicago Field Museum of Natural History/ Roosevelt University); Rainer Hutterer (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn Koenig Museum);
Birds: Jerome Mokoko; Hugo Rainey (WCS and The Biodiversity Consultancy);
Plants: Sydney Ndolo Ebika (Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo); Nicolas Texier (Missouri Botanical Gardens and ULB Brussels)