Conservation of biodiversity on the outskirts of Parc W and in the giraffe zone in Niger

The project region, covering an area of ​​3,600 hectares, is the fishing route, located in the coastal area between the town halls of Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, and Ouidah, a historic port known for the transfer of slaves to the Americas. The natural vegetation consists of grassy savannah, meadows and marshy formations including mangroves. Farms are small and reduced in lake areas where fishing and market gardening predominate.

There still exist, but in a less productive way, large industrial crops of oil palm and coconut. The coastal zone is faced with human pressure and the absence of a management policy. Faced with the impoverishment of the fishery, acaja systems (enclosures) have developed, exerting pressure on the mangrove vegetation.

The objectives of this project are, firstly, to develop and capitalize on a simple methodology for assessing environmental degradation and, on the other hand, to actively involve local communities in the preservation of the environment by encouraging local initiatives to fight against environmental degradation.