Murchison Falls Conservation Area (7060)
Uganda, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Murchison Falls National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: 2.2500, Longitude: 31.7900
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 650 to 1290
Area of KBA (km2): 4806.54381
Protected area coverage (%): 99.28
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Much of the 4,860 km2 Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) consistes of the Murchison Falls National Park and adjacent Bugungu and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserves. The site is relatively flat, although it spans an altitudinal range of more than 600 m, between 650-1290m a.s.l. To the south of Bugungu Wildlife Reserve is a large, medium-altitude semi-deciduous forest, the Budongo Forest Reserve. The Victoria Nile bisects the park from Karuma Falls to the delta at its confluence with Lake Albert, with over 50 tributaries which flow through thick papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) swamp. The Park contains the famous Murchison Falls where the Nile, or a large part of it, flows through a rock cleft some 6 m wide—one of the main tourist attractions. The rest of the park is dominated by rolling savanna and tall grass with increasingly thick bush, woodland and forest patches in the higher and wetter areas to the south and east.The conservation of the park has focused on those animals that have most relevance to its management. These are the large mammals, elephants, hippopotamus, Rothschild giraffe as well as a large Nile Crocodile population. MFNP has a variety of tourist facilities, and is well-known internationally drawing tourists from across the world.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site meets global KBA status for its African savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) population as well as five bird species: Ruppell's Griffon Vulture (Gyps rueppelli), white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus), Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos), White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) and African skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) which migrates here in the non-breeding season.
Additional biodiversity: Rothschild giraffe - this site contains the largest population of this subspecies of giraffe.
Manageability of the site: The site is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and is one of the most visited conservation sites in Uganda
Supersedes another site: Boundary revised to incorporate Murchison Falls NP, Bugungu and Karuma Wildlife Reserves which are all managed by UWA as one protected area system - used the shapefiles that government of Uganda uses which is different to WDKBA shapefile for the park and these reserves
Other site values: None
Delineation rationale: The boundary of the site follows the legally gazetted boundary of Murchison Falls National Park, Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserve as recognised by the Uganda Government. This area is managed as one conservation area by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Habitats
Land use: Managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority for conservation.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 10 | |
| Forest | 37 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Savanna | 16 | |
| Shrubland | 4 | |
| Unknown | 10 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Oil & gas drilling | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing |