Rural Community Innovations to Climate
Change Adaptation in Central Benin
West and Central African
Council for Agricultural
Research and Development
Conseil Ouest et Centre
Africain pour la Recherche et
le Développement Agricoles
Third West and Central Africa Agricultural Science Week and 10 th
General Assembly of CORAF/WECARD
Ndjamena, Chad 14th to 17th May, 2012.
Gerard C. ZOUNDJI
zoundjig@postgrad.unu.edu
OUTLINE
1. BACKGROUND & RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
2. RESEARCH STRATEGY
3. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
4. CONCLUSION
BACKGROUND & RESEARCH OBJECTIVE (1)
 Rural communities play a pivotal role in the economic,
social, and cultural fabric of developing countries. At the
same time, they are placed at the forefront of multiple
development stressors that include increasing climate
change impacts .
Climate change is nowadays one of the major challenges
that the world is facing and affecting sustainable
development and community livelihoods.
BACKGROUND & RESEARCH OBJECTIVE (2)
Climate change is impacting negatively on Benin through
extreme temperatures, frequent flooding and droughts.
In 2010, Benin has experienced some of the worst flooding it
has seen in a century.
This flood event has led to many direct and indirect
negative consequences on rural community’s livelihoods
BACKGROUND & RESEARCH OBJECTIVE (3)
In Benin and like many African countries , climate issues
are expected to affect agricultural production which
remains the main source of income for rural communities.
There is a clear evidence that climate change is already a
reality and calls for action not just to try to slow down the
process by reducing the effects of human activity on the
global climate but assist those affected to cope with the
changes.
BACKGROUND & RESEARCH OBJECTIVE (4)
Hence, adaptation of the agricultural sector to climate
change is urgent to protect the livelihoods of the rural
communities and to ensure food security.
The main objective of this research is gain an
understanding of rural communities’ perceptions of climate
change and of their ongoing adaptation strategies
Adaptation strategies and actions can range from shortterm coping to longer term, deeper transformations, aim to
meet more than climate change goals alone, and may or
may not succeed in moderating harm or exploiting
beneficial opportunities (Moser and Ekstrom 2010).
RESEARCH STRATEGY (1)
 The Study area:
Savalou municipality
Village choice:
•Municipality staffs;
•Regional Center for
Agriculture Promotion staffs;
•Local NGOs
RESEARCH STRATEGY (2)
Exploratory Research/Qualitative approach
Data collection: Survey method selected
 Participatory diagnostic tools:
•Focus group discussion;
•Semi structured interview;
•Validation meeting.
RESEARCH STRATEGY (3)
Sampling procedures : Purposive sampling
Farmland
position
Focus group discussion based on
years of farming experiences
10 -19 years
20+years
Household
interviews
Total
Sloping plot
4
5
15
24
Bottom of the
slope
Total
4
5
18
27
8
10
33
51
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS (1)
Among local innovations made in response to climate
change, the most important are:
 Changing the cropping calendar: It helps to take
advantage of the wet period and to avoid extreme
weather events during the growing season
 Sowing different varieties of the same crop on
different land & different date : Farmers hope that the
rainfall period is going to correspond to the phases of
growth of at least one culture with regard to its land
and sowing date.
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS (2)
 Poly Cropping
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS (3)
 Experiences sharing: Having good information is
central in providing appropriate solutions to the
problems of adaptation to climate change.
 Prayer and Ritual offerings: Farmers believe that lack
of respect for divinities and social norms is the main
cause of climate change. Under the responsibility of
rain makers, farmers are offering sacrifice to ancestral
spirits, to “vodoun Xêbiosso” that is the god of thunder
and harvest and controls the rain.
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS (4)
 Predictions of seasonal rainfall: Respondents
identified a wide range of local indicators used for
climate forecasting(observing stars, wind and cloud,
behavior of different some animals and indigenous
trees etc..)
 This information helps farmers to know when to
start preparing fields and looking for money to buy
seed and input. In preparing for planting, farmers
also rely on a local seasonal calendar, developed
over many years of accumulated experience.
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS (5)
 Livelihood diversification: Development of off-farm
activities which are not depend on rainfall such as
setting up small businesses (tea kiosks, market stalls,
firewood, charcoal, craft industry etc.). These activities
are more carried out by men.
 As far as women concerned, they pointed to the
need to create value added products and want to
engage in cassava processing because whatever
the rainfall season cassava tree survive but they
highlighted the need for equipment and capital.
CONCLUSION (1)
 It is clear that local people have made no sustainable
adaption strategy.
This situation leads to mal adaptation on the long-term
of rainfall change, but they are coping with adaptation
on the short term through autonomous strategy.
Rural communities’ adaptation strategies reflect
uncertainty since they seem haphazard and
accidental rather than anticipatory and planned.
CONCLUSION (2)
 Nevertheless local innovation in adaptation to climate
change is considered nowadays as a prerequisite for
assuring food security and sustainable resource
management.
Sustainable adaptation strategies: suggest that all
various actors in rural community come together to
create space for innovation towards adaptation to
climate change.
Questions?