West Africa

A significant portion of the Western Africa population is smallholder, rain-fed farmers. In recent history, rainfall patterns have changed. The season has changed in length, and the frequency of rainfall has altered. The potential threat of climate change on food security is increasing for this region. The Climate Change Impact on Western African Agriculture project aims to build a pathway to simulate impacts for the Region. Phase 2 (2015-2017) work for this team focused on: the Nioro region of Senegal; advancing one site in Ghana and one in Mali regions to full regional integrated assessments; and developing national scale asessments.

Work during Phase 2 particularly emphasized stakeholder engagement. The Western Africa team worked closely with Climate Change Agriculture Food Security (CCAFS) West Africa Flagship 4 and Flagship 2 (CASCAID) projects to ensure both district and national stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder engagement was achieved through informal interactions, workshops, and interviews. These engagements helped enhance the usefulness of the research findings for stakeholders.

In addition to stakeholder engagement, the research team expanded and redeveloped Representative Agricultural Pathways (RAPs) for these regions, incorporated livestock and commodities of focus into the models, developed adaptation packages, and ensured harmonized data for the West Africa Region. The project developed effective information that can be translated directly into usable information. These information products include graphics and visuals, short summaries, and information briefs.

West Africa Team Members: