Since 2019, Dahari has been conducting studies on the La Forêt massif. Grille located in the north of Grande Comore. The objective is to better understand the socio-economic dynamics as well as the systems of land and natural resource management by villagers. Our teams also maintain close relationships with local populations in order to establish a bond of trust and improve their understanding of the local context. This capitalization of knowledge will serve as a basis for the development of an intervention forest management and agroforestry development.
In this article, we offer you a summary overview of the state of our knowledge following the studies carried out.
The Massif of Grille : a coveted wealth
The volcanic and forest massif of La Grille begins at an altitude of 800 m and extends to the highest dome, culminating at 1087 m. It takes multiple forms: natural forest, degraded forest, artificial forest (mainly eucalyptus) and underplanted forest (banana trees, taros, etc.). The forest is crisscrossed by spaces with varied topography, between areas of plains, a market gardening plateau (the plateau of “La Grille”) and numerous adventitious cones located on either side of the Massif whose slope inclination is variable (up to 33%).

The Massif is home to an exceptional wealth of animals and plants, including many endemic species. Unlike the other islands, Ngazidja does not have any surface hydrographic network. The inhabitants of the Massif exploit the few accessible sources, particularly for the area of Maouéni and Ivembéni the source of Bondé. Many cisterns have also seen the light of day since the colonial period and today contribute to the agricultural development of the area.
Forestry and agricultural activities in full expansion
Economic activities are focused on agriculture and forestry activities: timber, firewood, charcoal. The latter grew in size and became professionalized at the turn of the 2000s, leading to an intensification of the exploitation of resources. Economic security is also ensured, particularly by the presence, within families (particularly in Maouéni and Ivembéni), of a diaspora living abroad.
“I make charcoal to meet my needs, such as paying for my children's schooling. It’s a job that doesn’t take much time, I do it mainly while waiting for my vegetables to be harvested, but also when I need money for my agricultural activity such as buying products.”
Ali, a farmer and charcoal burner from Ivembéni, Coal Survey, 2023.

Forestry activity mainly acts as an important and, above all, sustainable source of income. Indeed, this, unlike agricultural activity which is dependent on the seasonality of the harvests, makes it possible to obtain income throughout the year.
Concerning agriculture, whether subsistence through cultivation under forest cover (banana, tarot, cassava) or market gardening (cabbage, tomatoes, petsai, carrots, etc.), it is highly demanding in space, water and energy. inputs. Clearing (clear cutting) for the installation of new plots is a common practice since decolonization. This increases as accessibility to remote areas of the Massif increases. Indeed, over the last five years, the paths across the Massif have been rehabilitated by the villagers themselves in order to be made accessible to trucks and dump motorcycles. This pioneering logic suggests a worsening of deforestation for the benefit of agricultural and forestry activities.
Degradation of the forest and village awareness
The consequences of agricultural and forestry activities on the forest of La Grille are undeniable today. There are numerous testimonies from villagers confirming the intensification of tree cutting since the beginning of the 2000s, and testifying to the disappearance of endemic tree species. This disappearance is such that it leads to a slowdown in timber cutting activities, as well as a pioneering front phenomenon. Loggers are looking for new cutting areas where “large” tree species are still present.

Our research in La Grille allowed two main phenomena to emerge:
- The dominant place taken by under-canopy cultivation, destroying forest ecosystems under the canopy and eating away at the forest in a less visible manner at first glance.
- The current and future consequences of recent developments:
- The growing use of electric saws makes cutting easier and faster.
- The villagers are organizing themselves to finance the rehabilitation and construction of paths in the heart of the Massif, in order to make it more accessible to dump trucks and motorcycles and facilitate the carrying out of agricultural and forestry activities.
The various surveys carried out on forestry activities highlight the disappearance of hardwood tree species such as: Aphloia theaeformis (Mfandrabo), Octea Comorensis (Mkafre), Olae lanceolata (Ndrihali), Khaya Comorensis (Mtakamaka).
"Formerly the plots were covered with trees, it was the forest. But today with the cutting, there are no more trees. Today I no longer want people to come and cut on my plots and I replant trees myself. The forest disappears from year to year. The community is looking for income, which is why it wildly exploits the forest. Today you have to go to distant areas to find good trees to cut."
Bacar, farmer in Ivembéni, survey on timber, 2024
The studies demonstrate real village awareness of the growing disappearance of ecosystem services provided by the forest: climate regulation (temperature, water retention, erosion, soil fertility, etc.), supply of wood, medicinal plants, etc. As a result, Dahari is seeking, in a participatory manner with the communities, suitable solutions to restore the Massif de La forest. Grille and meet the needs of local populations.