Lutembe bay (7058)
Uganda, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Lutembe bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 0.1600, Longitude: 32.5700
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1130 to 1130
Area of KBA (km2): 8.1779
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Lutembe Bay (817 ha) is a secluded backwater at the mouth of Lake Victoria’s Murchison Bay, between Kampala and Entebbe at 1130m a.s.l. It is shallow, fringed by papyrus Cyperus papyrus, and almost completely cut off from the main body of Lake Victoria by a papyrus island. The dominant vegetation is a mosaic of papyrus on the open waterside, with Miscanthus and Vossia towards the dry land. The bay extends into a Miscanthus swamp and merges with forest remnants to the north and with a recently cleared horticultural farm to the north-west on the landward side. Its protection from the wave action of the open water facilitated the establishment and proliferation of the invasive water hyacinth Eichhornia, although that has recently declined. The bay and its associated swamps are important for the surrounding communities as a source of raw materials for local crafts, building, water for domestic use and, probably more importantly, fish as food and income.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site meets global KBA status for its populations of Gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica) and white-winged terns (Chlidonias leucopterus) which migrate here in the non-breeding season to overwinter.
Manageability of the site: The site is an unprotected bay on lake Victoria. Monitoring is undertaken by NatureUganda annually.
Delineation rationale: The boundary follows the IBA boundary for the site and encompasses where the white-winged and gull-billed terns roost each year.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 33 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 11 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 55 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |