110 km from the centre
The Brokopondo reservoir and the drowned forest
The Brokopondo reservoir was created in 1964 when the Afobaka dam closed the Suriname River. Roughly 1,560 square kilometres of rainforest was flooded without being logged first, and about six thousand people, largely Saramaccan Maroons, lost their villages.
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The dam was built to power the aluminium smelter of the bauxite industry. The lake it created is among the largest man-made lakes in the world.
The forest was not cleared before the water arrived. The trunks are still there, dead and grey, breaking the surface across large stretches of the lake. Timber is still cut from underwater today.
The people who were moved, into what are called the transmigration villages, were never fully compensated. That part belongs to this lake as much as the view does.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there dead trees in the Brokopondo reservoir?
When the Afobaka dam closed the Suriname River in 1964, about 1,560 km² of rainforest was flooded without being logged first. The trunks were never removed and still stand above the water.
How many people were displaced by the reservoir?
Around six thousand people, largely Saramaccan Maroons, lost their villages to the rising water and were rehoused in newly built transmigration villages. The consequences are still debated in Suriname today.