Assessing Anthropogenic Pressure on Land Use and Land Cover in the Mafere Sub-Prefecture in South-East Cote Divoire

Several hectares of forest disappear every year in Cote dIvoire, particularly in the Aboisso Department. Despite the fight to preserve biodiversity and forest cover, numerous pressures (anthropogenic pressures) continue to be exerted on the forests, leading to their destruction and even increased deforestation. This deforestation has many consequences, including reduced biodiversity and climate change. This study was initiated to gain a better understanding of this reduction in forest area. The aim of the study is to assess the level of forest degradation in the Mafere sub-prefecture. The activities involve mapping and analyzing the dynamics of land use and land cover (LULC). To achieve these objectives, the study is based on satellite images (Landsat 5, 7 and 8) from 1986, 2000 and 2020. The results of LULC dynamics show, on the one hand, a decline in closed forest/swamp forest (96.29%), degraded forest (76.75%), crop/fallow (67.03%) and annual crops (38.35%) and, on the other hand, an increase in cocoa (675.25%), oil palm (193.13%), rubber (14.39%) and housing/bare land (101.26%). The extension of agricultural areas in search of resources (natural and financial), demographic pressures, still traditional cultivation techniques and climate change are the main factors causing the degradation of forests in the Mafere sub-prefecture.