Institut ExposUM permanent seminar, "Interface Sciences-Société" axis

La Plateforme Portuaire de Surveillance Environnementale de Cotonou, Bénin : une initiative mutli-acteur-rices pour la gestion des invasions biologiques liés au trafic maritime international.

A concrete example of operationalizing research at the science/society interface

Biological invasions, particularly of rodents, are responsible for a significant proportion of the erosion of biodiversity, the spread of numerous reservoirs, vectors and pathogens, and the dissemination of crop and stock pests that weigh heavily on global food security. International trade is the main driving force behind biological invasions. Large ports and nodal industrial infrastructures are the main points of entry for invasive organisms. Although little scientific data is available to guide the actions of port stakeholders in this field, several international regulations aim to encourage the fight against these invasions.

In the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Benin, La Plateforme Portuaire de Surveillance Environnementale was officially inaugurated at the end of 2021. This platform is the first laboratory dedicated to monitoring and supporting the management of invasive species to see the light of day within an African port. Its implementation is the fruit of numerous interactions between academic and non-academic partners, and is an emblematic example of how scientific research can be put to work to meet the challenges facing society. It is this long-term experience, still in progress, that the speakers propose to share.

Speakers: Gauthier DOBIGNY and Tasnime ADAMJY, UMR CBGP (IRD).