Preserving Benin's sacred forests

Planète Urgence

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Action zones

Africa

The project

ClimateBiodiversity

The Gapadou project aims to sustainably manage sacred forests threatened by agricultural expansion in Benin, using restoration, the development of sustainable economic alternatives and awareness-raising among communities, especially children.

2 940

forests have the status of sacred forests in Benin

1 739

direct project beneficiaries in 2023

70 000

hectares

hectares of the country's forest cover lost each year

Solution

The Gapadou project focuses on preserving and restoring Benin's sacred forests, pillars of local culture but threatened by agricultural expansion. Sacred forests, based on traditional beliefs, are crucial for the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. Benin has around 2,900 of them.

In collaboration with BEV ONG, Planète Urgence mobilizes local communities to restore these unique forests, protect their biodiversity and develop sustainable economic alternatives via agroforestry. The project includes an environmental awareness program to ensure the sustainability of the actions.

This holistic approach aims to conciliate preservation of cultural heritage, protection of biodiversity and local economic development. Gapadou thus illustrates how forest conservation can harmonize with community needs, creating a sustainable human, climatic and ecological impact.

News

The money will be used for

The donations collected will enable:

- The purchase, planting and maintenance of seedlings to restore the sacred forests.

- The creation of woody belts around these forests.

- The development of sustainable economic alternatives with local communities, notably by planting fruit species in agroforestry, which can be marketed to generate additional income.

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Planète Urgence

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16,626

m2 of sacred forest restored