NotesThis publication is part of ETFRN News 60, Restoring African Drylands, which focuses on dryland restoration in the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa where levels of poverty, land degradation and out-migration are acute. It collates 36 articles from more than 100 contributors, including some long-term analyses of remarkable increases in tree cover and improved agricultural yields over large areas of the Western Sahel never published before, landscape restoration in Ethiopia, and examples from many other countries.
Abstract
The West African Sahel is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, due to land degradation, dependence on rainfed farming, political instability, poor governance, food insecurity, terrorism, poor infrastructure, and limited technical capacity. This has particular impacts on the agricultural sector (Sissoko et al. 2011; Zougmoré et al. 2016).
High levels of poverty and illiteracy also challenge agriculture, alongside a lack of adequate agricultural policies and agricultural investment, and limited mechanization. Conflict also affects agricultural societies and pastoral activities (Snorek et al. 2014). In addition, there is population pressure. Niger has the world highest population growth (INS 2016), which leads to agricultural saturation, the now total absence of fallowing land and increased landuse conflicts.
Agricultural systems in the West African Sahel are vulnerable to climate change. Farmers in Niger have developed many adaptation strategies, which provide myriad services with socioeconomic and ecological benefits.
These include zai pits, stone bunds, mulching, crop rotation, multiple cropping systems, half-moons, filtering dikes, fertilizer micro-doses, use of manure, and farmer managed natural regeneration. Strategies also include pest control measures, use of drought-tolerant and early maturing crops varieties, improved crop storage facilities, and use of timely and accurate weather forecasting.
Some adaptation measures involve the use of land law and environmental law to regulate the use of resources. In addition, farmers reduce risks through loans from agricultural banks to invest in irrigation infrastructure and agricultural inputs. These measures are being considered at the highest level, such as in the national strategy and plan for climate change adaption in the agricultural sector 2020 (République du Niger 2020). Now it is hoped that these strategies can be adequately financed and effectively implemented so farmers and pastoralists alike can have the support they require to
adopt more climate-smart practices and improve their livelihoods.