International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research

Authors
Adama Toure, Kopeh Jean-Louis Assi, Pébanagnanan David Silué, Joseph P Assi-Kaudjhis

Abstract
This study was conducted in the Poro region to describe the potential for rice production in the lowlands of the Poro region. To do so, the GIS approach and multicriteria analysis (MCA) were used as a method. This multidisciplinary method, which is a decision support tool, made it possible to assess the total area available for rice production and to deduce the production prospects. The results showed that the areas with optimal potential are found in the central, central-eastern, south-eastern and western Poro regions. Suitable areas are more present in the central-western and northern parts of the region. Areas with average production potential are found mainly in the northeast, center and south of the area studied. As for the difficult and constraining conditions that cover less space, they are more scattered in the region. The synthesis of the surface proportions of each of these potentialities reveals that 90.74% (2545724 ha) of the departmental territory offers favourable possibilities, of which 59.13% (1659035 ha) is optimal, 12.38% is suitable (347276 ha) and 19.23% (259791 ha) is moderately favorable. About 10% (or 259791 ha) of the territory has a difficult potentiality. The GIS approach shows that the rice potential of the Poro Region is still under-exploited. A better exploitation of these potentials would allow to fill the totality of the rice needs of the region from 12 to 19 times more and to contribute to food security in the surrounding regions.