Understanding Coastal Residents’ Perception on Urban Green Spaces in Benin, West Africa

Abstract

: Urban green spaces have several benefits for humans and environment as ecosystem services that are neglected and underestimated in developing countries. This study was undertaken to assess the importance of UGS to citizens’ communities, evaluate threats to their viability, and identify participatory strategies locally applicable for urban green space viability in three cities (Ouidah, Cotonou and Porto-Novo) of Benin. Surveys were conducted with a questionnaire and 360 respondents were selected from three cities. Data were analyzed belonging to socioeconomic variables such as age, gender, and educational levels. Chi-square test, correlations through corrplot packages, and Principal Component Analysis were also performed under R software. Results reveal six services: shading, air pollutants absorption, aesthetics, recreation, medicinal uses, and economic benefit. However, communities also consider urban green spaces as dumping waste, mosquito lodges, and threats to roads and buildings cracking with roots. These benefits and disturbances differed significantly between the three cities (χ 2 = 110.65; p < 0.001) and three categories of interviewees (χ 2 = 25.32; p = 0.004). Urban green spaces are also illegally cut, debarked, pruned, topped, and rooted. Otherwise, communities' willingness to participate in urban green management varies belonging to gender. Therefore, urban green spaces play an important socioeconomic role for surrounding communities and it’s urgent to ensure the viability of these ecosystems.