Adaptation to Soil Salinization in Lower Casamance, Senegal: A Socio-Demographic Perspective

Abstract

This study aims to identify the causes and consequences of rice field degradation, as well as the adaptation methods used by rice growers to cope with degradation. In Casamance, land degradation, particularly through salinization, has become a major factor limiting agricultural production. This degradation, aggravated by climate change and strong human pressure on natural resources, is leading to the loss of ecosystem fertility, productivity and biodiversity. In parallel with these adverse effects, the demand for food due to rapid population growth has become ever greater. The approach used is based on a questionnaire sent to 348 producers out of a total of 2 652 households in 9 villages. A semi-structured survey was conducted among former and new rice growers. The results showed that rice growing in lower Casamance is facing a sharp drop in yields (90.60%), mainly due to the combined effects of salinization of farmland (78.3%) and its causes (reduced rainfall (33.1%), lack of manpower (22.0%) and lack of land maintenance (17.9%)). As a result, a large proportion of producers (92.06%) have abandoned more than half (78%) of their rice-growing area. Faced with these constraints, various biological (52.20%) and/or mechanical (8.6%) control methods have been undertaken by growers to mitigate the effects of salinization. This study shows that farmers have efficient and appropriate technologies at their disposal, which should be considered in saline land rehabilitation programs. To combat the salinization of rice paddies in Lower Casamance, it is necessary not only to improve the soil with compounds rich in salt-fixing agents but also to develop rice paddies with dikes and bunds to ensure good water management and limit the progression of salinization.