Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe
| Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe | |
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| Nearest city | Mbandaka |
| Coordinates | 0°40′55″S 18°00′01″E / 0.681823°S 18.000412°ECoordinates: 0°40′55″S 18°00′01″E / 0.681823°S 18.000412°E |
| Area | 65,696 square kilometres (25,365 sq mi) |
| Established | 2008 |
| Designated | July 24, 2008 |
Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe is the largest Wetland of International Importance in the world as recognized by the Ramsar Convention. The site covers an area of 65,696 square kilometres (25,365 sq mi) in the region around Lake Tumba in the western Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is more than twice the size of Belgium or Maryland.
The vast area of forest and permanent or seasonal lakes and marshlands has great environmental and economic value. However, a rapidly growing population combined with weak and corrupt governance may be contributing to irreversible destruction.
The Ramsar wetland area of Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe is bordered to the west by the Ubangi and Congo rivers, which form the boundary with the Republic of the Congo. The Kasai River and its tributary the Fimi River, which drains Lake Mai-Ndombe, define the southern boundary. Within the site, Lake Mai Ngombe is farthest south, with Lake Tumba to the north. Further north again is the city of Mbandaka, on the east bank of the Congo River. The region included in the Ramsar wetlands extends further north in the region between the Ubangi and the Congo, as far as the town of Makanza on the Congo.
The Ubangi and Congo rivers join in the Tumba-Ngiri-Maindombe region to form a huge area of flooded forest covering more than 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi) that varies in size seasonally. When the wetlands around Lake Télé in the Republic of the Congo are included, the area contains the largest body of fresh water in Africa. The two largest areas of open water are the shallow lakes Tumba and Mai Ndombe. Lake Tumba covers about 765 square kilometres (295 sq mi) depending on the season, connected via the Irebu channel with the Congo river. Water may flow into or out of the lake through this channel depending on the floods. Lake Tumba has 114 species of fish. Lake Mai Ndombe covers about 2,300 square kilometres (890 sq mi) and is surrounded by flooded forests and swamps. Both lakes support important fisheries.
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