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P. Sagna et al.
change by looking at the climate characteristics and rainfall duration recorded at
forty selected stations. Senegal and Burkina Faso stretch over three climatic zones
that include the Sahelian zone in the North, the North-Sudanian zone in the center,
and the South-Sudanian zone in the South. For Ivory Coast and Benin, the northern
and central areas are, respectively, located in the North-Sudanian and South-Sudanian
climate zones, whereas the South is covered by the Guinean zone. In all four countries, break tests and water balance are characterized by the Standardized Precipitation Index, which measures changing water resources. Our research shows significant
rainfall variability, with important impacts on water resources. For data from Ivory
Coast from 1921 to 2016, there occurred a sharp decrease in the early 1980s; a similar
decrease occurred in the late 1960s in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. This led
to a noticeable decrease in surface water, while underground water, especially deep
water, was less affected. However, a slight increase in rainfall is noted in Burkina
Faso and Senegal in the 1990s. As local populations have grown aware of the negative
effects of rainfall changes, they have initiated action to protect and manage water
resources in a sensible and efficient way to preserve incomes from farming, grazing,
and fishing. For this context, implementation of appropriate strategies likely to alleviate the harmful consequences of climate change must be tackled head-on. This
can only be achieved through a wider knowledge of climate trends, coordination of
stakeholders, and a broader dialogue to find the best communal solutions.
Keywords Climate change · Water resources · Impacts · Adaptation strategies ·
West africa
1 Introduction
Climate change is a global challenge for humanity because of its devastating impacts
and the multiple adaptation and mitigation strategies required to address it. West
Africa in general, and more acutely Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal,
suffers particular effects of climate change with a rise in temperatures, irregular rainfall, variable rainy seasons, sea-level rise with significant coastal erosion, decrease
in water resources, etc. Given the importance of farming and its role in the economic
and social development of these countries, the major climate characteristics of this
area remain the spatio-temporal and interannual changes in precipitation, which have
become a permanent concern for local populations.
Indeed, since the severe drought (Leroux 1995) of the Sahelian zone, which began
in 1968 and gradually spread to the South, including the Sudanian and Guinean
zones (Sagna et al. 2015), the four countries selected for this study are experiencing
a climatic and environmental crisis that jeopardizes their future in many sectors.
T. Sané
Department of Geography, Assane Seck University, POB 523, Ziguinchor, Senegal
e-mail: tsane@univ-zig.sn
P. Sagna et al.
change by looking at the climate characteristics and rainfall duration recorded at
forty selected stations. Senegal and Burkina Faso stretch over three climatic zones
that include the Sahelian zone in the North, the North-Sudanian zone in the center,
and the South-Sudanian zone in the South. For Ivory Coast and Benin, the northern
and central areas are, respectively, located in the North-Sudanian and South-Sudanian
climate zones, whereas the South is covered by the Guinean zone. In all four countries, break tests and water balance are characterized by the Standardized Precipitation Index, which measures changing water resources. Our research shows significant
rainfall variability, with important impacts on water resources. For data from Ivory
Coast from 1921 to 2016, there occurred a sharp decrease in the early 1980s; a similar
decrease occurred in the late 1960s in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. This led
to a noticeable decrease in surface water, while underground water, especially deep
water, was less affected. However, a slight increase in rainfall is noted in Burkina
Faso and Senegal in the 1990s. As local populations have grown aware of the negative
effects of rainfall changes, they have initiated action to protect and manage water
resources in a sensible and efficient way to preserve incomes from farming, grazing,
and fishing. For this context, implementation of appropriate strategies likely to alleviate the harmful consequences of climate change must be tackled head-on. This
can only be achieved through a wider knowledge of climate trends, coordination of
stakeholders, and a broader dialogue to find the best communal solutions.
Keywords Climate change · Water resources · Impacts · Adaptation strategies ·
West africa
1 Introduction
Climate change is a global challenge for humanity because of its devastating impacts
and the multiple adaptation and mitigation strategies required to address it. West
Africa in general, and more acutely Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal,
suffers particular effects of climate change with a rise in temperatures, irregular rainfall, variable rainy seasons, sea-level rise with significant coastal erosion, decrease
in water resources, etc. Given the importance of farming and its role in the economic
and social development of these countries, the major climate characteristics of this
area remain the spatio-temporal and interannual changes in precipitation, which have
become a permanent concern for local populations.
Indeed, since the severe drought (Leroux 1995) of the Sahelian zone, which began
in 1968 and gradually spread to the South, including the Sudanian and Guinean
zones (Sagna et al. 2015), the four countries selected for this study are experiencing
a climatic and environmental crisis that jeopardizes their future in many sectors.
T. Sané
Department of Geography, Assane Seck University, POB 523, Ziguinchor, Senegal
e-mail: tsane@univ-zig.sn