Abstract

There is growing evidence that population pressure Oil the land has become the most intractable problem in the developing Countries where demand for food exceeds the food production capacity of the land. Southern Burkina Faso has experienced rapid Population growth, mostly driven by immigration of fanners. This Study was carried Out in Sissili Province and used satellite images acquired over 31-year period, census and Survey data to capture migration patterns and its impacts oil land use change. Results showed that migrant population which accounted for only 3 per cent in the Study area in 1976 shifted to 57 per cent in 2007. Migrant people were using improved technology to progressively convert forest land to cropland. Cropland increased at an annualized rate of 0.46 per cent to the detriment of the dense forest and woodland which decreased at 0.57 per cent per annum. Population growth was highly correlated with increasing area of cropland (r(2) = 0.95, p = 0.014) and declining dense forest (r(2) = 0.78) and woodland (r(2) = 0.95) covers. It call be concluded that rural migration, driven by the relatively good soil and rainfall conditions in the recipient area, is accounted for deforestation in the study area. If rural migration is not checked, it will seriously degrade the environment. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords

Burkina Faso; migration; land use change; population growth; wood cutting; fuel wood

Published in

Land Degradation and Development
2009, Volume: 20, number: 2, pages: 217-230

SLU Authors

• Ouedraogo, Issa

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Savadogo, Patrice

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Centre national de la recherche scientifique et technologique (CNRST)

• Tigabu, Mulualem

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Oden, Per

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss


UKÄ Subject classification

Landscape Architecture


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.910

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/28318