Background Nokoué Lake
Lake Nokoué is an oval shaped, brackish lake located in the very south of Benin, with riverine freshwater influx in the north and seawater influx in the south of the lake. The lake is directly connected to the ocean via the 4.5 km long and 300 m wide Cotonou channel. Another connection to the sea is a channel on the eastern side of the lagoon which passes by the capital Porto-Novo. Freshwater influx is supplied by the rivers Quémé and Sô, which form deltas at the eastern and northern end of the lake respectively. The size of the shallow lake (0.4 - 3.4 m depth) varies seasonally. During the dry season it covers an area of approximately 160 km². However, the lake’s size is tripled when the surrounded areas are flooded for a few weeks a year during the rainy season. Consequently, Lake Nokoué is surrounded by seasonally inundated forests and marshes.
Lake Nokoué, including the surrounding area, is an essential habitat for birds and was therefore designated as Ramsar Site in 2000. The highly biologically diverse area is an important nesting site for a wide variety of aquatic species. It is a unique habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, including some endangered species, and is a vital sanctuary for some of these.
The country’s largest city Cotonou, with a population of about 700,000 inhabitants, is located on the narrow stretch of land between Lake Nokoué and the Atlantic Ocean. The lake village Ganvié is on the northern shore of the lake, just at the mouth of the river Sô. With 20,000 inhabitants, it is probably Africa’s biggest lake village, which attracts a lot of cultural and eco-tourists. Apart from tourism, the village’s most important sources of income are fishing and fish farming.