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Permaculture project at Save (ECO COAL)




Location:



Benin - City of Savè - Domain of the traditional Yoruba Crown

At the center of the arc Togo-Niger-Nigeria, Benin is a stereotype of geography, economics and ethno-sociology of the sub-region.  In the heart of Benin, the royalty of Save, one of the 7 sacred cities of the prestigious Yoruba Empire, intends to mobilize traditional feudal power to serve the greatest number and thus demonstrate the modernity of vernacular governance.


Strategic expectation:


An economist by education, the current king is committed to ensuring the well-being of populations traditionally established in the royal domain (several hundred thousand hectares). However, aware of the threats of our time, he refuses to expose the legacy inherited to be transmitted, to any undue environmental risk, issuing from irrational exploitation. Permaculture is therefore the path of excellence to reconcile these constraints of an economy with minimum alteration to the land.


Executive purposes


Subproject 1: Market gardening sector  with biochar – Agroforestry implementation


  • Responding to the critical urgency of offering local, massive work tracks to the populations, launch a market gardening sector offering the farmer and family, healthy food and decent income.
  • Substitute a "green coal" sector to that of traditional charcoal, a main deforestation factor.
  • Contribute to reduce greenhouse gases by absorption / trapping of CO2 by the biochar.
  • Constitute a platform of resources (information, organization and know-how, financial mobilization etc ...) from which to study, set up , follow all over the royal domain, agroforestry experiments and generally, permaculture.

Operational goal:

Establish at Savè, a reference site in the "green coal" sector to be a green industrial benchmark, from which to calibrate diversification in agroforestry and permaculture.

+ Responding to the critical urgency of offering local, massive work tracks to the populations.

Scenario:

1. Feasibility studies
- Assessment of biomass availability on site (Savè)
- Carbon Credit Study
- Study of the sector structure and implementation strategies.

2. Financial mobilization of local and international actors (state / private)
- National privates and Benin diaspora
- Crowdfunding Campaigns - International Development Institutions

3. Implementation and consolidation of the operation
1-2-3 years of the pilot site then diffusion of the technology to other sites according to the modalities of the development plan established.

Actors involved:

• Client: Crown of Savè, worn by His Royal Majesty Akinmu Adetutu Onishabè
• Delegated project master : Association for the Promotion of Savè (APROSA)
• Project Manager: Unity Waters Association - Benin
• Technical supervision: ProNatura International (PNI) holder of the production technology (PYRO 6/7).



Subproject 2: Earth Architecture


  • To promote / reorganize a construction sector allowing local populations to build, rehabilitate, develop their housing at a lower cost by drawing on traditional techniques of earth architecture. 
  • Use available local materials (earth, rocks, wood and vegetaux) according to renewed standards which ensure comfort, hygiene and beauty, with an unequaled durability of the works.
  • Offer new developments that integrate the management of water and sanctuary the functional inclusion of massive plant spaces in urban planning in the making which would soon become anarchic otherwise.

Operational goal:

Establish in Savè, a site of land architecture: while allowing local people to immediately improve their habitat, it will offer a base of hosting / accommodation for ecotourism, guarantee of openness and source of income. It will serve to inspire regional, other similar initiatives.

+ Responding to the critical urgency of offering local, massive work tracks to the populations.
 
Scenario:

1. Pilot site feasibility studies - in progress - Design study and technical feasibility of the pilot site - in progress - - Study of structuring of the sector

2. Financial mobilization of local and international actors (state / private / diaspora) - Crowd Funding Campaigns - International Development Institutions

3. Implementation and consolidation of the operation 1-2-3 years before replication to other sites

Actors involved:

• Client: Crown of Savè, worn by His Royal Majesty Akinmu Adetutu Onishabè
• Delegated project master : Association for the Promotion of Savè (APROSA)
• Project Manager: Unity Waters Association - Benin
• Technical supervision: architecture collective ProTerre.