Mono River

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The Mono River is the major river of eastern Togo.

Approximately 400 km (250 miles) long, and draining a basin of about 20,000 km² (7700 sq mi), it rises between the town of Sokodé and the border with Benin, and flows south. Along the southern portion of the river towards its mouth, it forms the international boundary between Togo and Benin. The river drains into the Bight of Benin through an extensive system of brackish lagoons and lakes, including Lake Togo.

Only the part of the river nearest its mouth is navigable. Most of the river's basin is cultivated for maize, yams, and cassava.

The river is dammed 160 km (100 miles) from its mouth by the Nangbeto hydroelectric dam, a partnership between Benin and Togo completed in 1987. Studies have reported economic benefits from the dam, including tourism and fishing in the lake behind it. The dam's construction displaced between 7,600 and 10,000 people, however, and studies indicate that it has substantially modified the ecology of the lagoon system at the river's mouth by reducing the natural seasonal fluctuations in river flow. A second dam project, Adjarala, was proposed to be built on the river between Nangbeto and the river's mouth during the 1990s, but has not been constructed.

[edit] References

• Adam, K.S (1991). Les impacts environnementaux du barrage du Nangbeto. Geo-Eco-Trop 13(1-4):103-112.
• Thomas, Kevin (2002). Development projects and involuntary population displacement: The World Bank’s attempt to correct past failures. Population Research and Policy Review 21(4):339-349.