Technologies géospatiales et identification des terres à potentiel agricole : cas de la commune d’Abomey-Calavi au Bénin

In response to the growing pressure of urbanisation on agricultural land in the municipality of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, this study employs geospatial technologies and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) multi-criteria analysis method to identify areas suitable for agricultural production. Five criteria were used (land use, soil type, proximity to watercourses, road accessibility and slope). The results show that only 30% of the municipal area (13,603.93 ha) is of moderate to very high suitability for agriculture, concentrated mainly in the outlying districts of Kpanroun and Glo-Djigbé. The remaining 70% is of low or no suitability, due to the urbanisation already taking place within the municipality. This study demonstrates the relevance of geospatial tools as decision-making aids for sustainable agricultural land-use planning in peri-urban areas.