Itinéraires de la dégradation des terres de savanes soudano-guinéennes à très faible densité de population, l'exemple de la République Centrafricaine jRCA)

Abstract

Process of soil degradation in the Sudanese-Guinean savannas with low population density ; a case study of the Central African Republic. Most of Central Africa is occupied with Soudano-Guinean savannas and presents one of the lowest population density among those tropical South-Sahara Africa regions. The soil degradation phenomenon caused by traditional cropping and transhumant livestock is however evident despite the low occupation ration of soils. The author analyses the process of this degradation of production area recalling successive circumstances that have induced this agricultural people from primitive cropping system to infertilization of soils and that couple with the progressive movement of nomadic Mbororo breeders toward the southernmost savannas of this country. It seems that the solutions to the technical problems of reestablishment of soil fertility must undergo a radical change in cropping systems going to sedentary life and fertilization by way of the association cropping-livestock production and in a realistic method of grazing management. These changes have to go also with a radical change in relation between rural community and administrative services and a more willing participation from rural population.

Keywords

• Land degradation
• Savannas
• Traditional cropping
• Infertilization
• Transhumance
• Mbororo
• Central Africa