4 Climate Change and Water Resources in West Africa …
81
4 Conclusion
Several methods have allowed analysis of trends in climatic evolution in Ivory Coast,
Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. The decrease in rainfall corresponds to that of
total availability of water. Although the Sahel has gone through spells of drought, wet
periods have also been documented. Similarly, parts of the Sudanian and Guinean
climate zones have experienced rainfall breaks during different time series. The
inclusion of recent changes in longer periods of climate change in the Sahelian,
Sudanian, and Guinean zones of West Africa has mitigated their exceptional character. In contrast, climate and hydrologic models from the IPCC predict increases or
decreases for the coming decades, until 2100. Thus, even if there were a likelihood
of rainfall increase in the Sahel in the 1990s and 2000s, West Africa remains subject
to elusive climate variability. The 2014 deficit, in a context of relatively improved
precipitation, has shown that any reactive strategy based on models, or even findings
based on global averages, may prove unreliable. We must act and think locally, and
now.
Crops such as yams in Ivory Coast and Benin, as well as inland fisheries, show that
countries with abundant rainfall not only remain vulnerable to rainfall deficits, but
are also susceptible to floods. Cross-sectoral mobility and strategies independent of
climate are, therefore, necessary for effective adaptation. Climate information must,
therefore, be associated with seasonal migrations and the development of alternative
activities (agroforestry, solar energy production, ecotourism, etc.). Variety maps must
offer a plurality of varieties for a given location so that farmers can use the most
appropriate crop or variety for any given growing season. Water sobriety is a relevant
alternative to manage water resources. Since most of the loss of irrigation water is
through evaporation and infiltration, increasing available water resources may allow
for the exploitation of more land.
The management of water resources in West Africa faces the challenges of
spatial and temporal distribution. Crop insurance can mitigate the effects of unequal
distribution by financially offsetting difficult periods and deprived climatic regions.
Transboundary rivers are natural systems of water distribution in West Africa.
Analyses indicate that in the region’s water tower (the Fouta Djallon Mountains),
only slight variations in rainfall and runoff are recorded, compared to the rest of the
region. Despite the effort to exploit water resources of transboundary rivers, political
and financial obstacles have interfered with exploiting the full potential of those
rivers. People living in areas located more than one kilometer away from waterways
prefer to use groundwater, which is now easier to access by drilling and pumping
(solar energy is used in some areas in Senegal).
Climate change patterns in West Africa demonstrate the crucial importance of
hydrological potential (both surface water and groundwater), despite multiple signals
and warnings. The effective management of water resources improves many opportunities in farming, and also in inland fishing. In addition, it helps restore the population balance between deserted places and overpopulated capital cities. The climate
context of West Africa reveals previously unknown facts about the relationship among
81
4 Conclusion
Several methods have allowed analysis of trends in climatic evolution in Ivory Coast,
Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. The decrease in rainfall corresponds to that of
total availability of water. Although the Sahel has gone through spells of drought, wet
periods have also been documented. Similarly, parts of the Sudanian and Guinean
climate zones have experienced rainfall breaks during different time series. The
inclusion of recent changes in longer periods of climate change in the Sahelian,
Sudanian, and Guinean zones of West Africa has mitigated their exceptional character. In contrast, climate and hydrologic models from the IPCC predict increases or
decreases for the coming decades, until 2100. Thus, even if there were a likelihood
of rainfall increase in the Sahel in the 1990s and 2000s, West Africa remains subject
to elusive climate variability. The 2014 deficit, in a context of relatively improved
precipitation, has shown that any reactive strategy based on models, or even findings
based on global averages, may prove unreliable. We must act and think locally, and
now.
Crops such as yams in Ivory Coast and Benin, as well as inland fisheries, show that
countries with abundant rainfall not only remain vulnerable to rainfall deficits, but
are also susceptible to floods. Cross-sectoral mobility and strategies independent of
climate are, therefore, necessary for effective adaptation. Climate information must,
therefore, be associated with seasonal migrations and the development of alternative
activities (agroforestry, solar energy production, ecotourism, etc.). Variety maps must
offer a plurality of varieties for a given location so that farmers can use the most
appropriate crop or variety for any given growing season. Water sobriety is a relevant
alternative to manage water resources. Since most of the loss of irrigation water is
through evaporation and infiltration, increasing available water resources may allow
for the exploitation of more land.
The management of water resources in West Africa faces the challenges of
spatial and temporal distribution. Crop insurance can mitigate the effects of unequal
distribution by financially offsetting difficult periods and deprived climatic regions.
Transboundary rivers are natural systems of water distribution in West Africa.
Analyses indicate that in the region’s water tower (the Fouta Djallon Mountains),
only slight variations in rainfall and runoff are recorded, compared to the rest of the
region. Despite the effort to exploit water resources of transboundary rivers, political
and financial obstacles have interfered with exploiting the full potential of those
rivers. People living in areas located more than one kilometer away from waterways
prefer to use groundwater, which is now easier to access by drilling and pumping
(solar energy is used in some areas in Senegal).
Climate change patterns in West Africa demonstrate the crucial importance of
hydrological potential (both surface water and groundwater), despite multiple signals
and warnings. The effective management of water resources improves many opportunities in farming, and also in inland fishing. In addition, it helps restore the population balance between deserted places and overpopulated capital cities. The climate
context of West Africa reveals previously unknown facts about the relationship among