Environmental ethics, religious taboos and the Osun-Osogbo grove, Nigeria

Despite rapid urbanization and land-use changes that reduced vegetal cover by 77.1% between 1986 and 2017, the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria remained largely intact due to religious taboos rather than environmental ethics. The grove even experienced a marginal increase in vegetal cover and plant species diversity. This resilience was attributed to the fear of divine retribution associated with the resident goddess, as revealed by qualitative data analysis. The study employed satellite imagery, GIS analysis, documentary reviews, and key-informant interviews, offering a novel transdisciplinary approach to heritage conservation research.

Adewoyin, Y., Mokwenye, E. M., & Ugwu, N. V. (2020). Environmental ethics, religious taboos and the Osun-Osogbo grove, Nigeria. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 11(4), 516–527. https://doi.org/10.1108/jchmsd-01-2020-0019