Konkouré (6372)
Guinea, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Konkouré
Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.7833, Longitude: -13.6833
System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 457.44314
Protected area coverage (%): 61.88
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site lies immediately to the north of the Conakry peninsula. The site spans part of the Baie de Sangaréya and the mouths of the Rio Konkouré and the Rio Bouramaya and includes 28,000 ha of mangroves, mudflats and sandbanks, as well as a small area of rice-fields. Kabitaï (IBA GN011) is only a few kilometres to the north.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Guinea Forests of West Africa Hotspot (2015). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. The mangroves provide nesting sites for several species of waterbird including Ardea goliath, Casmerodius albus, Scopus umbretta and Ciconia episcopus. Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, Trichechus senegalensis (VU) is known to occur in the mangroves and the dolphin Tursiops truncatus (DD) has been recorded in the bay.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 3 | |
| Unknown | 3 | |
| Forest | 92 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area was designated a Ramsar Site in 1992. Wood-cutting for use by the urban population of Conakry is a particular problem and much damage to the mangrove has been done. Mangrove is also cleared for subsistence rice cultivation. Pollution from the bauxite factory at Fria, upstream on the Konkouré river, has almost certainly had a negative impact, but the extent of the damage is unknown. Part of the site is included within the remit of an EC-funded project to promote sustainable management of mangrove resources.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Seepage from mining | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Altenburg and van der Kamp (1991a,b).