GMES & Africa

Sakumo Ramsar Site comprises a coastal brackish-saline lagoon and the surrounding floodplains, freshwater marsh, coastal savannah grasslands with thicket vegetation, and a narrow sand-dune connection to the sea.
Over 70 waterbird species, estimated to number 30,000 individuals, depend on the Site’s resources during migratory and reproduction periods. Notable species include waders such as the spotted redshank and common greenshank (Tringa erythropus and Tringa nebularia), the collared pratincole Glareola pratincola , sandpipers, curlew, little stint Calidris minuta, the black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa and the black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus, as well as terns such as Sterna albifrons and Thalasseus sandvicensis.
The wetland is important for marine and freshwater fish species including the blackchin tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron, which represents about 97% of the fish population. Hundreds of local communities rely on the fishing industries for their livelihoods. The Site is also used for agriculture, industrial development and recreation. The major threats are rapid population growth, urbanization, and the presence of sewage and domestic waste.
Credits : Ramsar