In West Africa, in the global context of climate change and globalization, population growth creates an increasing pressure on natural resources through land allocation changes that it generates. The future of agricultural territories, especially around large cities, is thus questioned considering increasing urbanization, degradation of natural resources and socio-economic transformations. In order to anticipate what changes rural areas could experience, a process of territorial foresight was conducted on the southern Niayes area in Senegal. It enabled the local experts who engaged in this process to identify factors of change and to co-elaborate plausible scenarios of change in the territory. Regulations, governance and demography are the three major factors affecting land allocation over time. These factors determine how space is shared and natural resources are used, harmoniously or through conflict. Inclusive governance, highly structured civil society, but also the preservation of natural resources have emerged as essential to achieving harmonious futures.
1.Montpellier SupAgro, Inst Reg Chaudes, 1101 Ave Agropolis,BP 5098, F-34093 Montpellier 05, France 2.UMR ART DEV, CIRAD, F-34398 Montpellier, France 3.Univ Montpellier, ART DEV, Montpellier, France 4.Univ Pretoria, Ctr Study Governance Innovat, Old Coll House,Hatfield Campus,Lynnwood Rd, ZA-0002 Pretoria, South Africa 5.UMR TETIS, CIRAD, F-34398 Montpellier, France 6.Univ Montpellier, TETIS, Montpellier, France 7.ISRA BAME, Route Hydrocarbures,BP 3120, Dakar, Senegal
Recommended Citation:
Camara, Clementine,Bourgeois, Robin,Jahel, Camille. Anticipating the future of agricultural territories in West Africa: The case of the Niayes in Senegal[J]. CAHIERS AGRICULTURES,2019-01-01,28