Do Natural Resource Management Policies Ensure Environmental Justice in Benin?

Abstract

This article aims to analyze natural resource management policies in Benin. Natural resources in Benin play an important role for the livelihood of the population. The management policies of these natural resources involve several actors at different levels. This sector has also undergone several reforms with changes in intervention approaches from colonial times to the present day. Current reforms involving private organizations born of dissatisfaction with previous reforms lead us to question the governance of these resources. By adopting the perspective of the theory of environmental justice, we have analyzed natural resource management policies in Benin. The results of our study show that natural resource management in Benin provides mainly procedural justice, justice that does not guarantee sustainable management. The distributive justice that is fundamental in this management is poorly considered. This study suggests empirical research to determine the links between justice, feelings of justice of the populations and social changes observed especially, the specific cases of the agro-pastoral communities.