The Mahavavy Sud, also known as the Mahavavy South, is a river in western

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. It flows from south to north through the

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

Melaky Melaky is a region in northwestern Madagascar. It borders Boeny Region in northeast, Betsiboka in east, Bongolava in southeast and Menabe in south. The capital of the region is Maintirano. The population was estimated to be 309,805 in 2018 within ...

Betsiboka Betsiboka is a Regions of Madagascar, region of Madagascar. It borders Boeny Region in north, Sofia Region, Sofia in northeast, Alaotra-Mangoro in east, Analamanga and Bongolava in south and Melaky in west. The capital of the region is Maevatanana. ...

, and

Boeny Boeny is a region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interacti ...

. It has a length of approximately 1000 km, and drains a basin of 16,475 km². It is distinct from the Mahavavy Nord several hundred km to the north.Aldegheri, M. (1972). Rivers and Streams on Madagascar. In: Battistini, R., Richard-Vindard, G. (eds) ''Biogeography and Ecology in Madagascar''. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 21. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7159-3_8 The Mahavavy Sud rises on the Andranofotsibe Massif at about 1000 meters elevation. It flows southwards, joined by the Kiranomena and Manamidona rivers which originate on the Famoizankova massif. The first 125 km of the river's course has a steep gradient, about 7 meters per kilometer. At

Kandreho Kandreho is a municipality in western Madagascar in Betsiboka Region approximately north-west of the capital Antananarivo. It is situated at 144 km from Maevatanana. See also * Kandreho Formation * Kasijy Reserve Kasijy Special Reserve is a w ...

the river enters a east–west depression and is joined by the Mahakambana, which drains the western portion of the depression. Leaving the depression the river flows southwards through the Ankara and Kelifely limestone plateaus in deep gorges, and

Kasijy Special Reserve Kasijy Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the Betsiboka region of Madagascar. Nearly half of the species of plants and animals recorded within the reserve are endemic to Madagascar and BirdLife International have listed the reserve as an Im ...

is on the west bank of the river. The lower course of the river, below

Sitampiky Sitampiky is a town and commune ( mg, kaominina) in north-western Madagascar approximately 240 kilometres north-west of the capital Antananarivo. It belongs to the district of Ambato-Boeni, which is a part of Boeny Region. The population of the co ...

at 280 km from its source, runs through level country. The river's gradient is low, with a slope of 40 cm per km. The river is edged with marshes and shallow lakes, including lakes Kinkony and Katondro, which are replenished by the river during high water periods. The river forms a large delta as it empties into the

Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel (french: Canal du Mozambique, mg, Lakandranon'i Mozambika, pt, Canal de Moçambique) is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the Southeast African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique. The channel is about long ...

. The Mahavavy-Kinkony protected area covers much of the lower watershed, including Lake Kinkony and the river delta. It was designated Mahavavy-Kinkony harmonious protected landscape (''paysage harmonieux protégé'') on 21 April 2015 by Decree No. 2015-718, combining the 15,000-ha Lake Kinkony hunting reserve, created in 1972, and the Tsiombikibo Classified Forest (''Forêt Classée de Tsiombikibo''), established in 1957.Mahavavy Kinkony Site #66
''Protected Areas of Madagascar''. Accessed 28 November 2022. Mahavavy-Kinkony is designated an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

References

{{Rivers of Madagascar Betsiboka Boeny Rivers of Melaky Rivers of Madagascar