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ENB:04:11 [Next] . [Previous] . [Contents]

BENIN: Amb. Ren‚ Val‚ry Mongbe covered four areas: the state of desertification in Benin, its manifestation and consequences, commitments and experiences gained, and new elements of the strategy aimed at promoting sustainable development and attenuation of drought. He listed the physical, human and economic factors that contribute to the process of desertification. He stated that the agricultural production system contributes to desertification and he listed some of the outcomes of these processes as: deforestation; rural-urban migrations and exodus to more fertile lands; and a drop in animal and food production, among others. He also said that factories slowed down productivity due to lack of raw materials and that mass inputs of consumer goods and food stuffs have meant a lot in expenditure of the country's foreign currency leading to increased balance of payments deficits and deteriorating standards of living.