Impacts of Market Gardening Activities on Land Use in the Meskine Area, Far North Cameroon

Abstract

Human activities significantly alter land use, leading to changes in the natural environment. This impact necessitates providing authorities with land cover maps and information on their current state and dynamics. It is with this in mind that an impact study of market gardening activities on land use was conducted in the Meskine area of the Far North Cameroon. Its objective is to analyze the dynamics of land use in the Meskine area under the effects of market gardening activities. It contributes to the  characterization of the main spatial entities of the area between 1972 and 2024. The strategy used to produce the results is a combination of approaches and methods tailored to the specific objectives. Thus, the data collection techniques include documentary research, direct observation, and semi-structured interviews.  Next, a sample of one hundred and fifty (150) farmers was selected using Wade's method (2003) and distributed according to social group (indigenous: 105; non-indigenous: 45), as this determines land access patterns. Mapping techniques based on multi-date satellite image analysis were used and supplemented by field verification. The EPIR (State, Pressures, Impacts, and Responses) model was used to analyze the pressure factors, manifestations, and consequences of land use. The research results showed that population growth and the search for fertile land to meet subsistence needs lead to profound changes in the different land-use units. This dynamic is driven by several factors, including population growth, access to land, and the ongoing search for agricultural land, which results in constant pressure on the agricultural landscape.  The changes in the ecological parameters of the area are as follows: wooded savannas, agricultural land/bare soil, and water bodies, representing decreases of 9.92%, 2.43%, and 0.64%, respectively. The built-up area is increasing, with an average annual expansion rate of 0.13%. These changes, resulting from activities carried out in the area, particularly agriculture, cause, among other things, the destruction of vegetation cover, soil degradation, soil erosion, and soil contamination. These results can serve as a basis for defining priority areas for the restoration of degraded zones and the management of natural formations.