WP 4.1 Population Dynamics

Ongoing Research Activities

Wendlassida Ouedraogo (Geographer, from Burkina Faso) is working on “Migration and challenges of land use/management in south-western Burkina Faso (West Africa)” [Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL]. He now finished his fieldwork. The work is already submitted at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, University of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).
Supervisors: Prof. Dapola Évariste Constant DA and Dr. Papa SOW.

Ami Kafui Dédé Atikpo (Sociologist, from Togo) is currently working on “Climate Change and Human Health in Northern Togo: Cases of water borne diseases in the Kara Region”,[Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL] at the Training and Research Unit in Social Studies, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Supervisor: Dr. Alkassoum MAIGA and Dr. Papa SOW.

Jennifer Hartmann (Geographer, from Germany) is studying “Factors driving land use change in the area of Dano, south-western Burkina Faso”, [Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL] at the Programme: MSc Geography of Environmental Risk and Human Security Module: UM7 Risk Assessment, Geography Institute (University of Bonn) and United Nations University, Bonn, Germany.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr.Chinwe Ifejika SPERANZA.

Abdoul Haki Maoudé Kassimou (Statistician Economist Engineer, from Benin) works on “Impact of Climate-Income on Life Expectancy in Northern Benin”, [Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL] at the École Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Analyse Économique (ENSAE) and Agence National de la Statistique et de la Démographie (ANSD), Dakar Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal.
Supervisors: Dr.Souleymane DIAKITÉ and Dr. Papa Sow.

Fulgence Kouamé Kouamé (Geographer, from Côte d’Ivoire) is currently studying «Rainfall estimates by TAMSAT Method, Pluviometrical Variability Analysis and its environmental and socio-demographic impacts: Case of Korhogo (Northern Côte d’Ivoire)”, [Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL] at the Centre Universitaire de Recherche et d’Application en Télédétection, University Felix Houphouët Boigny, Cocody, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Supervisors: Prof. Koffi Fernand KOUAMÉ and Dr. Papa Sow.

Mashauri Muliro (Disaster Management Specialist, from Congo-Kinshasa) works on “Livelihood resilience of Inland Fishers in the context of Climate Change in Northern Benin”, [Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL] at the Programme: Environmental Risk and Human Security, United Nations University, University of Bonn, Germany.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dr.Chinwe Ifejika SPERANZA.

Mor Tine (Sociologist, from Senegal) is studying “Women and Development in Climate Change Context: Female Salt-Collectors of the Pink Lake (Senegal)”, [Mater Thesis funded by WASCAL] at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis, Senegal. Supervisors: Dr. Cheikh Sadibou SAKHO and Dr. Papa Sow

Research activities finalized

Stephen Adaawen (former PhD student at ZEF, from Ghana) who worked on “Migration from and to the north of Ghana: historic paths in confrontation with environmental risks” defended his PhD thesis in August 2015 at the Institute for Geography, University of Bonn, Germany.
[Supervisors: Prof. Sabine TRÖGER and Prof. DITTMAN)]

Jan-Niklas Bamler (former PhD student at ZEF, from Germany) submitted his PhD Thesis in November 2015. He worked on “Value for the Vulnerable? Sustainable Smallholder Development in Northern Ghana and the Value Chains of Tomato, Chili and Rice”, at the Geography Department in the University of Koln. The Thesis is defended in January 15th 2016.
[Supervisors: Prof. BRAUN and Prof. DANNENBERG].

Vanessa Y. Dreier (Sociologist, from Germany) worked on “Environmental Migration in Sub-Saharan Africa. A case study on Bialaba Migrants from Northern Benin to Nigeria in search of Productive Land”. MA thesis. Institute of Political Science and Sociology, University of Bonn.
[Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Volker KRONENBERG & Dr. Wolfram HILZ].

Tabitha Triphaus (from Germany, Master Student University of Bonn) studied “The changing cultures of return migration in South-West Burkina Faso. Insight from Dano” and submitted her Master Thesis in October 2015 at the Geography Institute (University of Bonn). Tabitha graduated in January 2016. [Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Patrick SAKDAPOLRAK].

Binta Dansoko (from Mali, Master Programme on Climate Change and Human Security, WASCAL GRP Togo, University of Lomé, Togo) worked on “Environmental change and Human Mobility in the Dano, Burkina Faso”. She graduated and defended her Thesis in November 2015.
[Supervisor: Dr. Papa SOW].

Constantine Ayikoue Akoko Kouevi (from Niger, WASCAL Master Programme in Climate Change and Education, Farfenni Campus, University of The Gambia) studied “A Drought-related Migration impacts livelihood in four communities in the North Bank Region of The Gambia: Case studies of Fass Njagga Choi, Amdalai, Torroba aand Njawara”. She defended her Master thesis on 30th of November 2015.
[Supervisor: Dr. Papa SOW].

Conference proceedings (only updated) since 2013

Papa Sow gave a talk on “Land, Trade and Marriages among Gourmantché, Mossi and Germa of North West Benin”, October 30th 2013 on the ZEFa Research Colloquium at ZEF.

Papa Sow participated in and chaired sessions at the XVIIth conference on International Migrations and Cooperation at the University Jaume I of Castellon de la Plana (Valencia, Spain), on 14th of November 2013. He delivered the inaugural conference and spoke about “African migrations: dominant paradigms and new trends”

Papa Sow participated and gave a conference on the topic, at the Seminar on Migrants in a World of Environmental transformations, on 7th of November 2013 at CESNOVA – Centre of Sociological Studies of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal). He spoke about “Mobility and resources transformations in North-west Benin: case of the fishing activities inside the Pendjari Park” and showed some of his research results on the Dassari watershed.

Papa Sow attended at the Dies Academus in the University of Bonn in May 21st, 2014 and gave a talk on “Coping with Climate Change: Adaptive fishers’ migration in the Pendjari River Area, Northwest of Benin”.

Papa Sow attended the World Congress of Sociology on Facing an Unequal World: Challenges for Global Sociology in Yokohama (Japan) in July 13th-19th, 2014 and presented a paper on “From insights of Climate Change: Alliances and conflicts between Ecostate-men and fishers in the Pendjari River Area, Northwest of Benin”.

Papa Sow (with Stephen Adaawen) attended the World Congress of Sociology on Facing an Unequal World: Challenges for Global Sociology in Yokohama (Japan) in July 13th-19th, 2014 and presented a paper on “Changing Reproductive Behaviour and Migration As a response To Climate/Environmental Change: Evidence From Rural Northern Ghana”.

Papa Sow attended the African Association for the Study of Religions’ Conference on Religion, Ecology, and Environment in Africa and the African Diaspora in Cape Town (South Africa) in July 30th-August 2nd, 2014 and presented a paper on “Rain Makers, Climate Change in West Africa”.

Papa Sow attended and presented a paper at the ZEF Board Meeting of 28th of August 2014 on the Thematic Cluster Climate Change organized in Bonn at ZEF. Paper presented: “Population Dynamics and Climate Change in Northern Benin. Insights from colonial archives”

Papa Sow attended and presented a paper at the Conference Climate Change, Negotiations, Translations and Socio-political Implications, 10th-12th September 2014 organized by Socio-economics WASCAL Team at ZEF, University of Bonn. Paper presented: “Rain makers and environmental change in West Africa.”

Papa Sow attended and presented a paper at the Conference Climate, Land Use and Conflict in (Northern) Africa, 22th-24th September 2014 organized, in Luebeck (Germany), by the University of Hamburg and CliSAP Research Group Climate Change and Security- CLISEC. Paper presented: “The aftermaths of environmental degradation: Dreams of Adventure and Traumatic Experiences among West African “Boat People” to Europe”

Papa Sow presented a paper at the senior research Colloquium, 4th December 2014 at ZEF, University of Bonn. Paper presented: “Rain makers, Climate change and contestation of the Gods of Water amongst the Biali of North West Benin (West Africa).”

Papa Sow presented a paper “Between the heat and the hardships: Climate Change and mixed Migration flows in West Africa” at the Durham University COST Conference on Human Migrations and the Environment: Futures, Politics, Invention on the Panel 10 “Human Migration and Climate Adaptation”. June 2015.

Between 4th and 8th November 2015, Papa Sow attended at the conference “African Diaspora Circularities: Forging communities, Cultures and Politics” held at Charleston (South Carolina, USA) where the paper “En route to Hell: Dreams of Adventure and Traumatic Experiences among West African “Boat People” to Europe” was presented.

From 9th to 11th November 2015, Papa Sow undertook a series of lectures on “Eco-refugees and migration experiences of West African “Boat People” to Europe” at Georges Washington University and Howard University (Washington DC, USA).

From 25th to 27th November 2015, Papa Sow attended the Agadir conference (in Morocco) on HES2015 (Human and Environmental Security. The Era of Global Risks) where a paper (co-authored with student Willis Okumu, ZEFa) on “Linkages between Pastoralists conflicts and Environmental Security: Comparison between Northern Kenya and West Africa” was presented

Papa Sow gave a conference on “En route to/from Hell: Dreams of Adventure and Traumatic Experiences among West African “Boat People” to Europe”. January 14th, 2016, ZEF Research Colloquium.