SDGs week 1 - articles
Team: Layla Putri M (14) Nadekita Puspa M (24) Deforestation Threatens the Sacred Vodoo Forest Sustainability in Benin Benin, West Africa, is often considered the birthplace of one of the world's oldest religions, Voodoo. Voodoo practitioners believe that the forest is home to thousands of sacred spirits residing within it. However, in recent decades, the existence of Benin's forests has come under increasing threat. This is not only due to the Anti-Vodoo movement but also because of the expansion of agriculture and urbanization for Benin's development. Deforestation in Benin is inevitable, with over 20 percent of the forest experiencing a decline at a deforestation rate increasing by more than 2 percent per year. Pastor Gilbert Kakpo in Bohouezoun Voodoo states that 11 percent of Benin's 13 million population are Voodoo followers. They believe that deforestation is a disaster as it angers these spirits, leading to wars, diseases, and death befalling the inhabitants. B...