Land cover and transhumance routes in Benin, West Africa
(2014) EcoHealth — Location: Montréal (11.August.2014)
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- Abstract
- In West-Africa, cattle herders migrate during several months each year in search of water and fodder for their cattle. Although transhumance is part of the cultural heritage of the Peul or Fulani people, this yearly migration has become dangerous. Conflicts between pastoralists and sedentary agriculture farmers are more frequent than before. Cattle movements over large distances can also play a role in the spread of parasites, such as the invasive tick Rhipicephalus microplus. Despite the undeniable relevance to the entire West-African society, objective and quantitative data on transhumance and migration routes is difficult to obtain. This presentation studies the predominant transhumance routes for cattle in Benin, West Africa and how these have changed over the last decades. We analyse the variation in the transhumance routes, and how these routes are related to land cover on a national and regional scale. Data on transhumance was obtained from historical and grey literature, and recent information was extracted from questionnaires and interviews with cattle herders, performed during the WECATIC project. Information on land cover was obtained both from existing GIS land cover maps and satellite data from the MODIS sensor describing vegetation greenness. This allowed to determine in an objective manner whether the agricultural fields are increasing along transhumance corridors, and it highlights the areas where conflicts between farmers and cattle herders are likely to occur.
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De Clercq, E. M., & Vanwambeke, S. (2014). Land cover and transhumance routes in Benin, West Africa. EcoHealth, Montréal. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/231574