Lower Casamance Research Articles

Mangrove reforestation: greening or grabbing coastal zones and deltas? Case studies in Senegal

Besides their important contribution to global biodiversity, mangroves provide many services. Nevertheless, due to an increase of human activities and to climate change, in less than 20 years these ecosystems have lost one fifth of their global surface area. In response to this decrease, mangrove reforestation incentives have spread throughout the world. The scientific and societal legitimacy of reforestation actions still remain in question. Focusing on two case studies, the Saloum Delta and Lower Casamance, Senegal, our methodology was mainly based on the analysis of environmental narratives and discourses between 2009 and 2013, and on reforestation campaigns conducted by NGOs. We highlight the complexity of the system of values associated with the mangroves, as well as the positive and negative interactions between the services. Even although the reforestation campaigns were generally successful in terms of reforested surfaces and international visibility, they were poor in terms of biological and cultural diversities and led to spatial injustice. Moreover, the extensive reforestation with a unique mangrove species, Rhizophora mangle, was perceived as means of ‘green grabbing’, and the simultaneous buying of carbon tax by industrial conglomerates induced disempowerment of the local communities. More integrated research programmes must be developed towards the extensive knowledge of the mangroves.

Remote Sensing Mapping of the Rice Field and Vegetal Cover and the Impacts of Soil Factors on Herbaceous in the Sub-Watershed of Boutolate (Lower Casamance, Senegal)

Rice cultivation in lowlands plays an important role for population livelihood in lower Casamance. This economic activity is known to be affected by many contraints which are climate change and soil salinity. soil salinity is observed in rice fields and in the vegetation cover of Boutolate sub-watershed which covers an area of 6594,21 ha. Due to this situation, anti-salt micro-dams were built to retain water and also changes in land use around the area. This work aims to study rice field area and vegetation cover dynamics in the sub-bassin area located in the south-western of Lower Casamance. An overall time period of 26 years was considered in our study. The satellite imagery Landsat TM of 1984 and 2003 and ETM+ of 2000 and 2010 combined with field ground data was used to analyze the rice field area, vegetation cover dynamics and to understand the impacts of climatic and anthropogenic factors on its evolution. Floristic inventory was also done using plot size 3x3m along the upstream and downstream of micro-dams. In each plot, soil samples were taken for laboratory analysis to determine the impacts of geological factors on herbaceous strata in cultivable paddy area. The results showed a decrease of area paddy during these periods. The decrease in cultivated area was due to rainfall deficit which increased soil salinity and the worse management and monitoring plan after micro-dams were established in 2004. These caused floods which affected 0,93% of upstream rice-growing units in 2010 . The increase of shrub-tree savannah between 1984 and 2010 was due to the natural regeneration. The natural regeneration was favored by the decrease of fraudulent logging related to insecurity in the area and the expansion of fruit trees, particularly Anacardium occidentale. Anacardium occidentale area increased between 2000 and 2010. The soil physical parameters influenced significantly on density and diversity of herbaceous

Insecurity or Isolation? Natural Resources and Livelihoods in Lower Casamance

RésuméL’impact des conflits civils sur les modes d’existence des populations rurales et urbaines de la Basse Casamance est mal connu. Durant la dernière décennie, le conflit armé entre le mouvement des forces démocratiques de la Casamance (MFDC) et les forces gouvernementales sénégalaises a suscité un ensemble de difficultés économiques pour la population locale qui dépend de l’exploitation des ressources naturelles pour sa subsistance. La recherche dont il est question ici repose essentiellement sur un questionnaire administré à deux cents personnes, choisies aléatoirement, dans quatre endroits que l’on sait affectés différemment par le conflit. Les résultats de l’enquête montrent que l’insécurité, qui peut varier énormément selon le quartier ou le village, est dans certains cas la cause d’un accès limité aux sites familiaux de production vivrière ou agricole. Mais les limites sur la production sont aussi plus générales. L’insécurité et le piteux état des infrastructures routières entraînent une restriction des activités commerciales tant au niveau local que régional. La population sondée a identifié cette réalité comme un problème économique important. Au total, il est difficile d’isoler l’impact du conflit des autres facteurs qui affectent le niveau de vie des ménages. La problématique entourant la production et la commercialisation dans le secteur primaire reflète souvent des articulations complexes entre les effets de l’insécurité et l’isolement économique dans un contexte de changement environnemental et socio-économique.

La guerre des dieux? Religions et séparatisme en Basse Casamance

AbstractThis article discusses the role of religion in the separatist struggle which has haunted Casamance society for the past two decades. Within the context of Senegal’s overwhelmingly Muslim population, the religious specificity of Lower Casamance — the significant presence of Catholicism and Animism — is often considered a key element. The article, however, examines the various reasons why social scientists tend to overestimate the weight of religious questions in the conflict. Subsequently, the article identifies of the relative contributions of Catholicism and animism to the separatist movement. Pursuing its own proselytizing objectives, the Catholic Church contributed strongly to the making and diffusion of a Casamance identity. Animism, for its part, has provided a major identity marker, but it has never functioned as a structure for the mobilization of the separatists.

Biozonation des formations sédimentaires tertiaires de Casamance au Sénégal

The tertiary marine formations of Senegal are known as far as the Miocene, in lower Casamance. In the rest of the basin, post-Paleogene deposits are associated with the continental deposits. Planktonic foraminifera observed in cuttings from the boreholes drilled in Casamance permits the proposition of a biozonation. However, important tectonic events in this region affected the marine faunal life conditions. Many characteristic planktonic foraminifera have not been observed in several parts of the Casamance basin.