Presentation
The LESELAM project (combating soil erosion and siltation of the lagoon in Mayotte), funded by the European Union under the EAFRD, is part of the erosion roadmap for Mayotte. It aims to understand the phenomena that lead to soil erosion and to raise awareness among the local population, elected representatives and associations of the need to adopt techniques to minimise soil loss in both urban and agricultural areas. The aim is to protect the Mayotte lagoon, one of the few in the world with a double reef barrier. This jewel is threatened by soil loss from ‘padzas’ (eroded land), agricultural land and urbanised areas on the island, which has accelerated over the last twenty years or so due to the demographic explosion on the island (+62% in 16 years between 2002 and 2018), combined with a change in agriculture.
Project publication: Uncontrolled deforestation and population growth threaten a tropical island’s water and land resources in only 10 years – Science Advances 2024
Photos from the fieldwork (September 2021 – Dzoumogné catchment – Mayotte)