Abstract

Tout comme pour l'ensemble des forets tropicales humides de l'Asie du Sud-Est, la foret de mangrove connai t un recul constant de son etendue, plus particulierement depuis la Deuxieme Guerre mondiale. Son exploitation pour le bois de combustion, sa conversion en rizieres ou en fermes aquacoles ont, dans bien des cas, amene une degradation considerable du couvert vegetal, en certains cas, sa disparition complete. Aussi, l'etude de la deforestation de la foret de mangrove dans les deltas continentaux du Sud-Est asiatique, notamment celui de l'Irraouaddi en Birmanie et celui du Chao Praya en Thailande, et des principales causes de cette deforestation souligne les enjeux que representent tant ses ressources propres que le territoire qu'elle occupe. Meme si les sources cartographiques, statistiques et autres documents doivent etre analyses avec prudence, ils demontrent neanmoins un recul rapide de la foret de mangrove en faveur d'une expansion agricole tant paysanne que commerciale evidente.

Alternate abstract:

As with all the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, the mangrove forest has experienced a constant decline in its extent, particularly since the Second World War. Its exploitation for fuelwood, its conversion into rice fields or aquaculture farms have, in many cases, led to a considerable degradation of the plant cover, in some cases, to its complete disappearance. Also, the study of the deforestation of the mangrove forest in the continental deltas of South-East Asia, notably that of Irraouaddi in Burma and that of Chao Praya in Thailand, and of the main causes of this deforestation highlights the issues that represent both its own resources and the territory it occupies. Even if the cartographic sources, statistics and other documents must be analyzed with caution, they nevertheless demonstrate a rapid decline of the mangrove forest in favor of an obvious agricultural expansion, both peasant and commercial.