Keta Lagoon

Keta Lagoon
Village on the Keta Lagoon, 1890s
Keta Lagoon
Location	Volta Region
Nearest city	Keta
Coordinates	5°53′16″N 0°49′36″E / 5.8879°N 0.8267°E / 5.8879; 0.8267
Area	1200 km2
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site
Designated	14 August 1992
Reference no.	567[1]

Keta Lagoon, also called Anlo-Keta lagoon, is the largest of the over 90 lagoons^[2] that cover the 550 km^[3] stretch of the coastline of Ghana. This lagoon is 126.13 km in length. It is located in the eastern coast of Ghana and separated from the Gulf of Guinea^[4] by a narrow strip of sandbar. This open salty water is surrounded by flood plains and mangrove swamps. Together they form the Keta Lagoon Ramsar site^[5] which covers 1200 km²

There are seasonal inflow of sea water during high tide from the Gulf of Guinea and regular inflow of rivers. The rivers which drain into the lagoon include the Aka, the Tordzi River ^[6] and Belikpa stream^[7] which enter the lagoon from the north. The lagoon is surrounded by many settlements. The towns include Anloga, Woe, Keta and Kedzi to the south, Aborlove Nolopi, Anyako and Anlo Afiadenyigba to the north, Kodzi, Alakple and Tregui to the west and Denu and Adina to the east.

Over the years population growth, extensive human activities and climate change all contributed to reduce the volume of water in the lagoon which appears to be drying up. The lagoon became part of the daily existence of the people of Anlo land. In 1992 the Keta Lagoon was placed on the list of Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and in 1999 work began on measures to limit further erosion and to control flooding of the coastal region.^[8]