Local uses of mangroves and perceived impacts of their degradation in Grand-Popo municipality, a hotspot of mangroves in Benin, West Africa

Abstract

Detailed understanding of interactions between humans and their surrounding ecosystems is essential for designing sustainable use and management of these ecosystems. Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems worldwide, yet amongst the most threatened. This study (1) explored main activities of local communities in relationship to mangroves and variation across geographical locations, gender, and age categories, (2) investigated plants and animals used and collected from mangroves and their adjacent areas, and (3) assessed local perception on the impacts of their activities on the degradation of mangroves and potential effects of this degradation on their life attributes (security, income, health and culture). The study was conducted in Grand-Popo municipality, a hotspot of mangroves and the only one coastal municipality embedded in the Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve in Benin. Data were collected through individual interviews (n = 360) in nine villages of the municipality. Results showed that local communities of Grand-Popo practice nine income generating activities (IGA) within mangroves and fishing (31.65%), wood collection (22.73%), Cyperus articulatus collection (21.67%), medicinal plant collection (8.98%), and salt production (5.56%) were frequent. There were important differences across geographical locations, gender, and age categories with regard to used mangrove resources and socio-economic activities. Respondents reported twenty-three fish species, two shrimp species, two crab species and one oyster species as fishery resources commonly collected from mangroves. Most interviewees (58.33%) believed that their activities do not negatively impact mangroves despite popular recognition of the dwindling of mangroves' coverage (75% of respondents). Our findings provide important information on resources collected and used in mangrove ecosystems and highlight strong geographical locations, gender, and age categories variation. Implications for sustainable participative management were discussed.