CULTURAL PRACTICES AMONG RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE CHAD BASIN AREA AND THEIR IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT: The Case of Borno State

People’s responses and altitudes toward resource use are conditioned by timd, place and culture. Culture is file totality of human experience and since there are wide varieties of cultures, there are wide varieties of cultural responses, even to the same environment. Every culture creates its own cultural landscape which is a physical expression of its way of life in the form of housing forms and materials, land use types, crops grown, animals kept, etc. The knowledge of locality specific cultural practices that impact on (he environment is very important in understanding natural resources utilization, conservation and management. This paper attempts to provide information on indigenous methods of resource use and management among rural communities in Borno state (Nigeria) and their changing roles in the economy of the Chad Basin area.