Gerard C. ZOUNDJI Rural Community Innovations to Climate Change Adaptation in Central Benin Third West and Central Africa Agricultural Science Week and 10 th General Assembly of CORAF/WECARD Ndjamena, Chad 14 th to 17 th May, West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles

1. 1. BACKGROUND & RESEARCH OBJECTIVE RESEARCH STRATEGY RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS CONCLUSION OUTLINE

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 short- term 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 Household interviewsTotal years20+years Sloping plot Bottom of the slope Total

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?