CACCI Field Notes #6: Spatial Distribution of Climate Risk and Vulnerability in Senegal
DOWNLOADJune 1, 2023 - Aïssatou Ndoye, Khadim Dia, and Mansour Dia
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EmailClimate change is a complex problem with far-reaching economic, environmental and social impacts in many
countries worldwide. Senegal in West Africa faces a particularly high risk of being affected by climate change due to its geographic, economic, and social conditions. With its long coastline and reliance on rain-fed agriculture, the country is vulnerable to the impacts of higher temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels.
The Government of Senegal has initiated several measures to address the complex challenges raised by climate change, including the development of a national plan for climate change adaptation. However, the country still has a long way to go to ensure that it is adequately equipped to handle the impacts of climate change and strengthen the resilience of its communities.
Senegal’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, with about 70 percent of the population engaged in
agriculture and related activities (FAOSTAT 2013). However, climate variability has been a significant challenge for Senegal’s agricultural sector. The country continues to experience extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heat waves, which can severely impact crop yields as well as the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people.
Given this context, it is essential to understand the main climate variables affecting Senegalese farmlands, including precipitation, temperature, water, and soil properties. Understanding these variables and their impacts is critical to developing effective climate change adaptation and resilience strategies for agriculture as their variability directly impacts crop productivity and farmers’ livelihoods. Senegal is looking to develop more resilient agricultural practices and technologies to help mitigate the effects of climate change on crop yields.
Variations in climatic variables, weather patterns, and climatic conditions can differ significantly depending on location. As a result, different ecosystems and human societies will experience disparate climate change impacts, and certain regions may be more vulnerable than others. It is crucial to comprehensively monitor climatic variables to determine the current state of the Earth’s climate and create approaches for coping with climate change. Understanding the climatic variables that influence a particular region is essential for predicting weather patterns, planning agricultural activities, and managing natural resources in the context of climate change.
This report examines several climatic variables such as surface water, rainfall, land use and land cover, drought
intensity, and soil properties at the pixel level. Rainfall patterns vary widely within Senegal, with the country’s north getting less rainfall than the south. The rainy season usually lasts from June to October, with the heaviest rain falling between July and September. Farmland is a critical component of Senegal’s economy as agriculture accounts for about 15 percent of the country’s GDP. The most important cultivated crops are millet, sorghum, rice, and groundnuts. Soil carbon is essential for soil health and fertility and is influenced by land use, vegetation cover, and soil management practices. The soil carbon content in Senegal’s farmlands varies by location and soil type
