African words

For several decades the scientific world has agreed that biodiversity is threatened, in particular in regions where it is especially rich, such as the tropical and equatorial zones. At the same time, it seems that this biological diversity cannot be preserved without the active participation of the peoples who live in direct contact with it.

In conjunction with the Ecoles thématiques organized in 2002 by the ecology field station in Lamto (Ivory Coast), African students comment on this problem. While their studies have made them aware of the need to manage natural resources, they are also imbued with the culture they were born into and grew up in. They view their environment and its traditional or commercial exploitation with a dual focus, both as scientists and human beings.