Assessment of local populations' perceptions of the dynamics of wetland ecosystems at Ramsar 1017 site

Abstract

Globally and in Benin, there is a degradation of wetland ecosystems, and human activities are the main causes. This work was carried out in the Ramsar 1017 site (lower Couffo Valley, Coastal Lagoon, Aho Channel, Lake Ahémé) and the investigations were carried out in the villages surrounding the wetlands of the site in communes. It focuses on the evaluation of local perceptions of the dynamics of the wetland ecosystems of the said site. The overall objective of this work is to evaluate, identify and characterize the perception of local populations of the evolution of wetland ecosystems of the Ramsar 1017 site in order to contribute to better management of wetland habitats. In Benin, the consideration of community perception in the analysis of land use dynamics remains insufficient. To do this, an investigation was conducted among 385 people through a stratified sample respecting gender and socio-professional categories. The results show that the majority (93.77%) of respondents are aware of the degradation of wetland ecosystems and understand the underlying causes. The factors contributing to the degradation of these ecosystems identified by respondents, in descending order, are: human activities (40.23%), river flooding (31.61%), and artesian wells (28.16%). Proposed solutions include raising awareness among local populations and enforcement of existing regulations by authorities to limit the rate of this degradation.