Socio-Economic Uses of The River Oueme: From Human Activity to the Deterioration of a Common Resource (Socio-Economic Uses of the Oueme River: Human Activities Leading to the Deterioration of a Common Resource)

The Ouémé River, Benin’s main watercourse, is a crucial common resource that supports domestic, agricultural, fishing, industrial, and ecological activities for riverside communities. This study analyzes how anthropogenic actions contribute to the river’s deterioration, using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with 32 purposively selected actors (residents, institutional stakeholders, local elected officials, elders, and community leaders) and direct observation. Empirical data were processed through triangulation and content analysis, and interpreted using Hardin’s “tragedy of the commons” framework. The findings reveal diverse socio-economic and cultural uses of the river, including fishing, agriculture, livestock, sand extraction, river transport, rituals, and intensive domestic consumption, all facilitated by open and largely uncontrolled access. These multiple uses, grounded in representations of the river as a public, divine, or communal gift, reinforce patterns of overexploitation and accelerate environmental degradation. The article argues that, since privatization of the river is neither realistic nor legitimate in this context, redefinition and strengthening of collective management rules are needed to curb deterioration and improve the sustainability of the Ouémé River as a shared resource.