VEGETATION COVER DYNAMICS OF THE ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS OF MAYO-KEBBI WEST IN CHAD FROM 2009 TO 2019

This study highlights the application of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in monitoring vegetation formations in the Mayo-Kebbi West province. The general objective of this study is to contribute to better management and conservation of vegetation formations in the Lere-Binder wildlife reserves, Sena-Oura National Park, and the Yamba Berte forest formation. The spatio-temporal evolution of vegetation was analyzed using Sentinel imagery from 2009 and 2019. The results and matrix analyses showed that 42.86% of the land cover units (grassland, shrubland to woodland, and flood zone) experienced a regression of 7.6 ha per year, while 57.14% (water bodies, fields, gallery forest, and open forest) showed progression. It is noteworthy that the main factors driving vegetation degradation are agriculture, livestock farming, logging, charcoal production, and gold mining.