Traditional Adaptation Strategies to Hydrosystem Degradation for Sustainable Management of the Aheme Lake in Benin (West Africa)

Abstract

The water system like the lake Aheme are abundant in halieutic species (fish, crabs, shrimps…) exploited by resident populations. Over exploitation and high degradation of ecosystems of the lake Aheme induce inexorably fish productivity reduction. Halieutic production reduction generates a subsequent fall of incomes of the households depending primarily on the fishery activities. The fall of halieutic production involves today significant migratory movements of the fishermen and socioeconomic problem. Thus, adaptation strategies are developed for sustainable management of the lake Aheme. These strategies consist in holding as sacred a part of the lake with the divinity Avlekete, fishing holes creation and mangrove restoration. Sacred lake park called ‘’Avlekete-tin’’ is the most important traditional strategy. These endogenous methods of ecological conservation constitute actually effective strategies of productivity and fishing development on the Aheme lake.