Identifying the land use and land cover change drivers: methods and case studies of two forest reserves in Northern Benin

Séverin Biaou (), Gerard Nounagnon Gouwakinnou (), Honoré Samadori Sorotori Biaou (), Marc Sèwanou Tovihessi (), Beranger Kohomlan Awessou (), Fiacre Codjo Ahononga () and Felix Ogoubiyi Houéto ()
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Séverin Biaou: University of Parakou
Gerard Nounagnon Gouwakinnou: University of Parakou
Honoré Samadori Sorotori Biaou: University of Parakou
Marc Sèwanou Tovihessi: University of Parakou
Beranger Kohomlan Awessou: Direction Générale des Eaux, Forêts et Chasses (DGEFC)
Fiacre Codjo Ahononga: University of Parakou
Felix Ogoubiyi Houéto: Centre National de Télédétection et de Suivi Ecologique (CENATEL)

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2022, vol. 24, issue 8, No 8, 9885-9905

Abstract: Abstract Land use and land cover change (LULCC) is one of the problems that the world has been facing for the last few decades despite political attention. Frequently, this change is addressed by the remote sensing and mapping approach, while it only half solves the problem as LULCC depends on the region and the prevailing socio-economic activities. In this sense, the social approach is an additional effective tool for developing appropriate policies. In this study, we reviewed the drivers of LULCC in forests and the local perception of the LULCC drivers in relation to socio-economic factors. To this end, a focus group discussion with local managers and a semi-structured survey on LULCC drivers was conducted with 483 people in 25 villages located in a 10 km buffer zone around two forest reserves (Alibori-Supérieur and Ouénou-Bénou) in Benin. The study revealed that the perception of LULCC’s drivers differs among stakeholders, different socio-professional groups and age categories. According to stakeholders, LULCC is largely due to shifting cultivation, logging, population growth, poverty, and overgrazing. For the local community, these reserves limit the availability of land for cultivation. As a result, in order to cope with population growth and poverty, new land is cleared each year in the immediate forest reserves. However, according to managers, political factors that hinder forest law enforcement around these forests are the cause of LULCC. This study, along with future research, will help policy makers to develop sustainable and targeted management strategies around forest reserves. These future studies should establish the consequences of these changes on local incomes.

Keywords: Degradation; Deforestation; Stakeholder’s perception; REED +; Benin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01849-4

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