The unknown heritage of sacred woods in the town of Koudougou (Burkina Faso): Moving toward recognition and protection
For a variety of reasons, rural African societies have organized their space to include certain sacred areas subject to particular prohibitions. An example can be found in sacred gardens or woods, today confronted by an urban dynamic laying claim to those very same spaces. The heritage value of these sacred gardens remains unknown because they do not correspond to Western cultural heritage criteria. To understand the evolution of such sacred spaces and potentially improve their status, survey interviews were carried out with traditional community leaders and certain technical services in Koudougou, together with a spatial analysis. The results show that these ancient gardens have high biodiversity but are strongly threatened by pressure for land. Their protection, which might have been assured by modern community structures, seems to be in jeopardy because of the myths surrounding them. However, the people involved recognize that these different forms of cultural heritage represent places of memory whose preservation and increased value could be a significant factor in maintaining a healthy living environment.