| Lake Chilwa | |
|---|---|
| seen from space (false color) | |
| Location | Zomba District |
| Basin countries | Malawi |
| Max. length | 60 km |
| Max. width | 40 km |
Lake Chilwa is the second-largest lake in Malawi after Lake Malawi. It is in eastern Zomba District, near the border with Mozambique. Approximately 60 km long and 40 km wide, the lake is surrounded by extensive wetlands. There is a large island in the middle of the lake called Chisi Island. The lake has no outlet, and is at risk for drying up if the water in its catchment is diverted for human use. The Danish International Development Agency has been working to ensure preservation of the lake and its wetlands.
335 villages with over 60,000 inhabitants engage in fishing the lake, and pull in over 17,000 metric tons each year, 20% of all the fish caught in Malawi. The lake supports a waterbird population of around 1.5 million with about 160 species. Some of these migrate along the Asian - East African Flyway from Siberia each year. With twelve bird species, the number is over 1% of their total flyway population. The local human population is dense and growing, and hunts waterbirds in large numbers as a source of protein when fish stocks are low. Efforts are being made to ensure that this hunting is done in a sustainable manner.[1]