Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo (6388)
Guinea-Bissau, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.2500, Longitude: -15.3333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 672.36421
Protected area coverage (%): 27.04
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site is situated on the south-east coast, near the town of Catió, and consists of the estuary of Rio Tombali, the coastal mudflats between the mouths of the Rio Tombali and the Rio Cumbijã and the Ilha de Melo which lies between the mouths of the Rio Cumbijã and the Rio Cacine, immediately to the east. The site includes 32,500 ha of sandflats and mudflats and c.45,000 ha of mangroves and drier woodland and forest.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. The total number of wintering waterbirds that use this area has been estimated at over 160,000. Non-bird biodiversity: The mammal Trichechus senegalensis (VU) occurs.
Delineation rationale: Legacy KBA boundary coastline aligned to GADM 4.1 and satellite imagery where appropriate, additional edits were made to all for full mudflat extents as per the site description.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 8 | |
| Unknown | 6 | |
| Forest | 84 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Main threats include clearance of mangroves for fuelwood and for rice cultivation.
Additional information
References: Ledant (1985), Maretti and Sales (1994), Zwarts (1988).