ANTHROPIC PRESSURE AND DEGRADATION OF THE OUÉMÉ BOUKOU CLASSIFIED FOREST (MUNICIPALITY OF SAVÈ) IN THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN

Abstract

This research analyzes the anthropic pressure and the impoverishment of the classified forest of Ouémé Boukou, especially at the level of the districts of Béssè, Offè and Okpara in the commune of Savè, due to the massive intrusion of farmers and other exploiters in the aforesaid classified forest in recent years. The methodological approach includes socio-economic surveys of those living in or around this forest, the processing of socioeconomic data from the study area from 2002 to 2018. The analysis and discussion of the findings were done through the numbers of farmers, farms, charcoal manufacturers, firewood markets etc. The results show that anthropogenic pressure deteriorates natural resources through agriculture (73%), livestock (13%), logging and other related forest degradation activities (14%), which are the main activities carried out by agricultural migrants who settled in and around the Ouémé-Boukou classified forest. The analysis shows a growing increase in farms in the classified forest. Likewise, farmers use harmful production techniques to natural resources. So, drastic measures for the efficient and sustainable management of natural resources deserve to be taken for the protection of the forest against anthropogenic actions.