Kongou Falls

Chutes Kongou (also called the Koungou Falls) is a massive cataract about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) wide and up to 56 metres (184 ft) tall, located in Ivindo National Park in eastern Gabon.

The falls are within Ivindo National Park, created in 2002 to protect among other things this beautiful and biologically diverse stretch of river.

On 14 September 2007, President Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon confirmed that a dam would be built at the falls to provide electricity to a large iron mining project in Belinga further north.

The iron mine is essentially for Gabon's economic development, but the dam will inundate a large part of the National Park, and have a serious impact on local livelihoods.

The decision put into question the President's strategy of developing ecotourism in Gabon and may well deter investors and tourists alike.