If you look at a satellite map of Aneho, you will immediately understand the destiny of this city. It is perched on an almost unreal strip of sand, strangled to the south by the fury of the Atlantic Ocean, and bathed to the north by the mirror-like waters of Lake Togo and the lagoon of the Mono River. Aneho does not possess its water; water possesses Aneho.
The Gentleness of the Lagoon
Aneho's lagoon facade is the realm of tranquility. The water is smooth as glass. At any time of the day, frail pirogues silently cleave the surface, carrying women going to the market on the other bank, fishermen returning with a few tilapia, or schoolchildren heading back to their village.
It is a very rich brackish ecosystem, bordered by shreds of mangroves. These mangrove trees are not only a natural bulwark that stabilizes the banks, they are the nurseries where the region's crabs and fish breed. On these calm banks, children learn to swim and elders come to chat in the shade of almond trees.
On one side the Atlantic fury, on the other the lagoon peace. Aneho's perfect dualism.
The Anger of the Ocean: Coastal Erosion
Walk a few hundred meters south, and the scenery changes radically. The Atlantic Ocean roars. The waves crashing on the beach are colossal. The ocean is here both an inexhaustible source of food and the greatest threat to the city.
Coastal erosion is a tragic reality. Historically, Aneho has already lost entire roads, colonial cemeteries, and dozens of houses, literally swallowed by the sea. The retreat of the coastline is caused by global changes (sea level rise) but also by regional human interventions (dams, deep-water ports). Today, gigantic rocky groynes have been built offshore to break the swell and save what remains of the sandy strip.
« Water never forgets its path. If you steal its land, it will come back for it one day. »