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ATLAS REPORT

Country report: Benin

Generated 15 October 2026, 04:06 from live Atlas data

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Executive summary

Atlas holds 71,153 mapped features and 37,971 observations in 23 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 2,198 ha in 1,115 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.178 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 68.8% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.

Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.

Species & formations

FormationPolygonsArea (ha)ShareMean patch (ha)
Mangrove1,1152,198.4100.0%1.97
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00

Pressure: LAPSSET and villages

Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET

Mangrove ha by distance from villages

Data quality

DatasetFeaturesRepairedScore
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Benin1,9810100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Benin2,4410100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Benin2,8990100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Benin2,2160100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Benin2,0820100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Benin1,3550100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Benin1,1150100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Benin9820100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Benin9520100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Benin9730100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Benin1,1200100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Benin1,0590100
Fibre Cable Landing Stations126095
Rivers228095
Power Plants (Power output MW)642095
Small airport1,979095
Dams2,586095
Districts6,0991395
World Database on Protected Areas7,438195
Electricity Transmission Network9,759095
Irrigated Areas23,095195
Carbon projects: Benin6090
Community and nature projects (UNDP): Benin20090

Recommendations

High 13 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Seagrass, Salt Marsh, Coastal Forests, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Protected Areas & Landscapes, Land Use & Land Cover, People & Settlements, Wildlife & Habitats, Fire & Climate, Farming & Livelihoods, Mining, Oil & Licences, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Net loss of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 2,231 ha of mangrove in Benin in 1996 and 1,960 ha in 2025: a net loss of 271 ha (-12.1%), about 9 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Action: Overlay consecutive epochs to locate where the losses occurred and check them against pressures such as clearing, ports and aquaculture.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 9 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
40.7% of the 1,115 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 68.8% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.

Datasets & sources

DatasetPublisherFeatures
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)1,981
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,441
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,899
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,216
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,082
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)1,355
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)1,115
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)982
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)952
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)973
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)1,120
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, BeninGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)1,059
Fibre Cable Landing StationsWWF Kenya126
RiversWWF Kenya228
Power Plants (Power output MW)WWF Kenya642
Small airportWWF Kenya1,979
DamsWWF Kenya2,586
DistrictsWWF Kenya6,099
World Database on Protected AreasWWF Kenya7,438
Electricity Transmission NetworkWWF Kenya9,759
Irrigated AreasWWF Kenya23,095
Carbon projects: BeninBerkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley6
Community and nature projects (UNDP): BeninUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)20

Methods & limits

Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.
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