Assessment of current changes in land use and occupancy

This research looked at the spatio-temporal changes in land use and occupation in the Lower Ouémé Valley as a result of various practices. The methodology adopted made it possible to collect and process a range of data (satellite, climatic, demographic, hydrological). The results obtained show that, from 1986 to 2015, crops and fallow land predominated, rising from 23% to 32%, while habitats and bare soil increased significantly, from 15% to 18%. Marshy meadows have also increased substantially, accounting for 13% of the total surface area. Water bodies remain relatively stable at around 19%, while swamp formations, plantations and forest patches have degraded considerably, accounting for just 8%, 7% and 3% respectively of the Lower Ouémé Valley's surface area, which has been converted into other land-use units. Vegetation degradation factors are attributed to demographic growth, pastoral pressure (transhumance and others...), agricultural practices, land tenure, urbanization and climate variability.