Concerted restoration of riparian ecosystems and improvement of the hydrological resilience of the Moyen Ouémé through nature-based solutions

The Ouémé River watershed, the longest river in Benin, is affected by bank erosion, soil depletion, and a drastic drop in biodiversity as the forest cover that protected it has disappeared. Local populations are the first victims of these environmental disorders: water erosion washes agricultural soils, floods of the river and its tributaries wash away crops, infrastructure is destroyed and wells are plugged.

The RECORHY initiative – Concerted restoration of riparian ecosystems and improvement of the hydrological resilience of the Middle Ouémé through nature-based solutions – led by “Experts Solidaires (ES)” and the local NGO “Esho Ko Iya (EKY)” started in 2023 to propose answers to these challenges. It aims to make those living along the river the actors and promoters of its rebirth. ES and EKY have tested in the last two years techniques adapted to the local context, easily replicable, allowing to restore the banks of the minor tributaries of the Ouémé and the adjoining riverine.

Thus, in the areas most affected by deforestation and erosion, the banks of tributaries will be stabilized by branches and cuttings; slopes will be fixed by vetiver tufts, the gallery forest will be reconstituted by local species and the adjacent fields will be converted into stable and resilient agroforestry systems. Farmers, organized in a cooperative, will themselves ensure the protection and maintenance of these structures and diversify their income through other activities such as beekeeping, market gardening and forestry. They will thus become the guardians and managers of the protected area that they themselves have created on the banks of the river, which provides them with a decent income, a healthier living environment and the promise of a happier future for their families.