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.

Bienvenu Bossou, the Executive Director of the Natural Resources Protection Circle, mentions that between 2001 and 2012, approximately 45 percent of the sacred forests in Benin have been lost or diminished.

Bossou attributes poverty as a factor driving people to cut down the forest and convert it into more productive farmland.

"Agriculture is the primary threat to the forest, driven by poverty. Due to their poverty, they cannot afford to buy fertilizers or gas for energy," he explains, as quoted from African News on Monday (30/10).

Some blame the government's push for development as a major cause of deforestation, with residents claiming that roads are being built in sacred areas without their permission. The government asserts they are doing what they can to protect the sacred forest.

As evidence, they have prohibited tree felling without state approval, and since 2016, the government has invested around 3 billion USD to curb deforestation.

10 Keywords:

1. Deforestation

2. Sacred Vodoo Forest

3. Benin

4. Voodoo Religion

5. Anti-Vodoo Movement

6. Urbanization

7. Environmental Concerns

8. Poverty

9. Sustainable Development

10. Forest Protection

source: rmol.id