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From Wooded Savannah to Farmland and Settlement: Population Growth, Drought, Energy Needs and Cotton Price Incentives Driving Changes in Wacoro, Mali

Author

Listed:
  • Nagalé Dit Mahamadou Sanogo

    (WASCAL Program, University of the Gambia, MDI Road, Serrekunda P.O. Box 3530, The Gambia)

  • Sidzabda Djibril Dayamba

    (African Forest Forum (AFF), United Nations Avenue, Nairobi P.O. Box 30677-00100, Kenya
    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST), Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou 03 BP 7047, Burkina Faso)

  • Fabrice G. Renaud

    (School of Interdisciplinary Studies, The University of Glasgow, Dumfries Campus, Rutherford/McCowan Building, Dumfries DG1 4ZL, UK)

  • Melanie Feurer

    (Chair of Silviculture, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
    School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Länggasse 85, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland)

Abstract

Land includes vegetation and water bodies and provides the basis for human livelihoods through primary production, food and freshwater supply, and multiple other ecosystem services. The last three decades have recorded frequent drought events as well as rapid population growth, which has often resulted in adverse land use and land cover change (LULCC) in the Sahel of Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to propose sustainable land management strategies, it is a prerequisite to investigate the rate of LULCC and its driving factors in specific locations. This study investigated the case of Wacoro municipality in Mali using a combined approach of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and focus group discussions. Satellite images and local people’s perceptions on LULCC and drivers were collected and analyzed for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. We found that the study area faced a rapid decrease in wooded savannah that was degraded and converted to shrub savannah and later to farmland and settlement. Changes were directly or indirectly related to the rapid population growth, high cotton price (which encouraged cropland expansion), drought, firewood extraction, and charcoal production, which was exacerbated by poverty. We suggest promoting integrated land management strategies that consider current and future livelihood needs and preserve the environment for the benefits of future generations. New agricultural policies, such as cotton price incentives, should always be accompanied by an assessment of their potential environmental impacts and design of adequate mitigation measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Nagalé Dit Mahamadou Sanogo & Sidzabda Djibril Dayamba & Fabrice G. Renaud & Melanie Feurer, 2022. "From Wooded Savannah to Farmland and Settlement: Population Growth, Drought, Energy Needs and Cotton Price Incentives Driving Changes in Wacoro, Mali," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:12:p:2117-:d:982732
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Colin Thor West & Sarah Benecky & Cassandra Karlsson & Bella Reiss & Aaron J. Moody, 2020. "Bottom-Up Perspectives on the Re-Greening of the Sahel: An Evaluation of the Spatial Relationship between Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) and Tree-Cover in Burkina Faso," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Falconnier, Gatien N. & Descheemaeker, Katrien & Traore, Bouba & Bayoko, Arouna & Giller, Ken E., 2018. "Agricultural intensification and policy interventions: Exploring plausible futures for smallholder farmers in Southern Mali," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 623-634.
    3. Karamoko Sanogo & Birhanu Zemadim Birhanu & Souleymane Sanogo & Abdulkadir Aishetu & Abdramane Ba, 2021. "Spatiotemporal Response of Vegetation to Rainfall and Air Temperature Fluctuations in the Sahel: Case Study in the Forest Reserve of Fina, Mali," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Ezenwa E. Olumba & Bernard U. Nwosu & Francis N. Okpaleke & Rowland Chukwuma Okoli, 2022. "Conceptualising eco-violence: moving beyond the multiple labelling of water and agricultural resource conflicts in the Sahel," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(9), pages 2075-2090, July.
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