Endogenous religions and ancestral knowledge to protect mangroves

Endogenous religions and ancestral knowledge to protect mangroves

Faced with the failure of mangrove preservation laws, NGOs are turning to the fetish. Mangroves are a natural barrier against erosion and a powerful tool in the fight against climate change because they have a high carbon sequestration capacity. Their importance in preserving the ecosystem has led UNESCO to designate the Bouche du Roy, an area of over 10,000 hectares of marshes and lagoons at the mouth of the Mono River in the Atlantic, as a biosphere reserve.

The failure of various legislative measures to protect this environment has not prevented man from cutting mangrove wood, thereby destroying the mangrove. Knowing its usefulness in the survival of the human species, NGOs are urging Vodoun followers to call on fetishes to guard them. For example, since 2016, a zangbéto, a night watchman fetish, has been offering its protection to the Hakouè mangrove. It's a return to traditional values. According to researcher Alexandre Mahougnon ZOUMMAN, the social taboos associated with sacred forests were intended to protect the environment: “In Benin, endogenous religions have always been involved in protecting the environment. They are involved in the protection of several forests dedicated to tutelary divinities.” The role of fetishes in nature conservation has been demonstrated. But men have always violated taboos. We need to overcome the barriers imposed and offer alternatives other than using firewood for cooking.