Enangnon Oscar Doré Ahossou
Local people generally consider that they have the right to use and manage their “natural wealth” in their own way. However, they rarely believe in the vulnerability of such natural ecosystems while their diverse needs in resources increase with their populations, leading to unsustainable harvests, degradations and loss of biodiversity.
The present study aims to undertake participatory research activities with local people living at the vicinity of the Itchèdè-Toffo forest (Southern Benin Republic) in order drive their attention on the main causes of ecological dysfunctions and get their full adhesion to the key solutions for better management and conservation. The global approach of the framework consists of thinking and building appropriate knowledge and initiatives with local people to change them into active actors of resources management.
The Itchèdè-Toffo forest like most of the forests located within the Benin Dahomey Gap contributes highly to the plant biodiversity of this particular eco-region and represents habitat for number of wild animal species. Local communities’ dependences on this forest resources for various needs may represent important threats for future management and conservation purposes. This project ambition is to contribute to the long-term conservation and management of the Itchèdè-Toffo forest in the global context of habitat fragmentation and climate change. The specific objectives of this project are to:
Ob1: identify and characterize the different resources exploited by local populations in the Ithèdè-Toffo forest.
Ob2: access the diversity, the biotic interactions and the dynamics of the local fauna representants involved in pollination, seed dispersal and germination of different tree species in the Itchèdè-Toffo forest.
Ob3: raise awareness on the ecological functions of the forest and identify alternative socio-economic initiatives by reinforcing capacities of local people, governmental managers and NGOs on appropriate actions to promote the Itchèdè-Toffo forest management and conservation.