Rural Territorial Governance is Confronted with Urbanization in the Sub-Prefecture of Bingerville

Suburban and peripheral villages of big cities are undergoing deep changes related to urban pressure. Actors, issues, challenges as well as conflicts of land use are more and more numerous and influence the modes of governance of these rural territories. These changes raise the problem of competence of each actor in the management of evolution dynamics of peripheral rural spaces in a context marked by permanent encroachment of urban on rural. This study focuses on rural governance in Bingerville, one of the most affected sub-prefectures by Abidjan’s spatial dynamics. It examines rural governance modes confronted with urbanization. How are economic and social development strategies implemented in villages considering morphological, social and functional changes that are taking place? The data collection methodology is based on documentary research and field surveys (observation, interviews and inquiry through questions). Observation has been necessary for estimating intensity of co-production of landscape by different actors. Interviews and inquiry through questions shed light on the modes of governance as known, settled and experienced by stakeholders. Results highlight two essential aspects:
- Local political system and rural territory’s actors
- the various modes of governance linked to the games and stakes of actors involved.
Customary governance is based on a political system made up of generations with a rotating power time. Cornerstone of local system, the chiefdom, while striving to maintain a certain pre-eminence, choose all the time traditional and patrimonial governance. The State and local authorities choose a participatory approach involving village communities, private companies, families and individuals having interests in defined areas. The current peri-urban landscape thus has the mark of this everlasting conflicting combination.