This protected area covers an area of 3909sq km and is designated as a Ramsar site. The area is a permanent fresh water lake that is an important drainage system acting to join the river and floodplain and also hosting several species of aquatic vegetation. Other parts of the protected area are under mangrove, swamp, marshes and mud flats.
Some of the animals in the Ramsar site crocodiles, hippos and birds. The lake is an important source of living to the local people who are particularly fishermen. Much of the area is under intense exploration with several areas deforested for wood, agriculture and animals depleted by hunting.