Migration and natural resources management in the periphery of protected areas: the case of Tambi Kaboré National Park (TKNP), Burkina Faso

For several years now, Burkina Faso has been experiencing waves of migration due to environmental changes. Many migrants settled on the outskirts of the TKNP to carry out agro-pastoral production activities. However, these activities degrade the resources of protected areas. Much has been written to show that migrants play an important role in the degradation of natural resources, but no mention is made of their role in the degradation of plant cover. It justifies this research whose aim was to analyse the role of migrants in the dynamics of land use around the TKNP. It also sought to understand the contribution of migrants to the process of preserving the protected area. The methodology used consisted of interpreting satellite images from 1986, 1998 and 2021, which were obtained from the USGS website. These images were interpreted through a supervised classification, using the maximum likelihood algorithm. Data was collected from migrants and non-migrants (100 heads of household) living around the protected area. The data collected was processed to calculate averages and frequencies. The results showed that migrants settled on the outskirts of TKNP come from the province of Nahouri, to which the commune of Pô belongs. There are also migrants from provinces in the north of the country. These migrants have increased the demand for farmland and contributed to an increase in the size of the fields. They increased from 8.32% to 39.86% of the area studied between 1986 and 2021. Agropastoral practices are the main factors responsible of the degradation of vegetation. Migrants also play an important role in preserving resources by participating in the activities of forest management groups. They take part in monitoring, reforestation and awareness-raising activities. However, their absence from decision-making bodies needs to be improved.