Data Zone
Country/territory: Benin
IBA criteria met: A1, A4i (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 45,000 hectares (450.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2022 | not assessed | very high | medium |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
This triangular area, in the south-west of the country, comprises the marshes of the lower Kouffo river, Lake Ahémé, into which the river drains, and the ‘Aho complex’ consisting of marshes beside the Aho river, which carries water from the lake to the sea, and the coastal strip between the towns of Grand-Popo to the west and Ouidah to the east. The south of Lake Ahémé is fringed with Typha australis and the Aho supports mangroves (Rhizophora sp. and Avicennia sp.), maintained by seasonal influxes of brackish water.
Key biodiversity
See Box for key species. The records of Sterna balaenarum come from the Bouche du Roi, part of the Aho delta where there is a channel to the sea. Large flocks of Chlidonias niger forage on the lake. In addition, three species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) have also been recorded; see Table 2.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis (VU) was reported from Lake Ahémé in the mid-1970s.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Ahémé and Aho complex (Benin). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-ahémé-and-aho-complex-iba-benin on 27/12/2024.