The Kpotomey valley, located in southern Benin, 25 kilometres from Cotonou, once rich in biodiversity, has today become a symbol of the ecological disaster affecting southern Benin. Only the marshy part of the valley, unsuitable for housing and human activities, has remained relatively wild. It serves as a refuge for the last remaining populations of mammals such as the sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei), the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the potto (Perodicticus potto); reptiles such as the African rock python (Python sebae); and birds and fish such as the lungfish (Protopterus annectens).
The project aims to turn the marshy Zinvié-Kpotomey valley into a 400-hectare protected corridor, mobilising the 6 villages concerned, and enabling the conservation of these animals, particularly the sitatunga, the most threatened and iconic species.