Integrating Social Networks and Local Ecological Knowledge in Landscape Management in Benin Republic, West Africa

Local Ecological knowledge serves as a shared cognitive framework that aligns conservation objectives with traditional norms, thereby facilitating collective action. However, the extent to which this knowledge influences conservation outcomes depends on the nature of community involvement and the structures of the stakeholders’ networks that mediate decision-making process.  Integrating these perspectives can help identify governance failures and design collaborative systems that are ecologically effective, socially equitable, and resilient. We examined local knowledge of landscape elements, local actors’ perceptions of landscape change, and the drivers of landscape connectivity degradation using five localities in the Dahomey Gap region (Benin Republic) as case studies. Additionally, we investigated the involvement of local communities in landscape conservation activities (LCAs) and the structure of the stakeholder network. We surveyed 387 households. To identify dimensions underlying perceptions of landscape change, we analyzed the data using descriptive statistics, and exploratory factor analysis. Through social network analysis (SNA), we analyzed the structure of stakeholders’ interactions. The most acknowledged landscape change indicator was agricultural expansion. Climate-related hazards (drought, storms) as well as agricultural expansion were identified as the driving forces of landscape change. Most respondents were involved in activities such as afforestation/reforestation, environmental education, ecotourism, community development, integrated land management, participatory/community science, and environmental law enforcement. The results also show that education level, ethnic group, natural resources equity, place attachment, and role in the community significantly influenced involvement in LCA. The SNA revealed NGOs and local authorities as the network’s primary brokers. Community members, while they participate widely, do not occupy strategic bridging positions in the network. Researchers and local chiefdoms contribute to information exchange but do not dominate network coordination. In contrast, government agencies, tourism agencies, and international institutions appeared more peripheral. These insights can contribute to improving landscape management in the region.

Key Words: Local Ecological Knowledge; Dahomey-Gap; Benin Republic; Landscape conservation activities; social network analysis