Inland valleys constitute an important but underutilized land type for food production in West Africa. In southern Benin, production in these valleys is limited by lack of appropriate water management and limited access to input and output markets. This lack of appropriate water management has been exacerbated by recent climate change manifested through more frequent floods and below average rainfall years that increase the frequency of crop failure that in turn diminishes the contribution of inland valleys to food security in West Africa and Benin in particular.

This project, Sustainable Farmland Management in the Context of Climate Change in Inland Valleys of Southern Benin, expanded knowledge of how to better manage inland valleys in Southern Benin for improved food security in the context of climate change. It did this through 1) evaluating the suitability of current inland valleys water management schemes for hydraulic/hydrologic functioning in the context of climate change; 2) assessing the vulnerability of farmers to climate change and effective adaptation strategies in inland valleys; and 3) informing relevant stakeholders about the most appropriate inland valley management options.

Further reading:

This project and publication has been produced as part of the START call for research on the theme of ‘Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security’ in Africa, with an emphasis on the sustainability of ecosystem services in Africa. Objectives of this call are to commission high quality, independent, policy-relevant and credible research to support policy making for sustainable development in the region, to build the capacities of regional research partners to conduct high level research and to create a platform for knowledge sharing at the regional level. The funding has been provided by US National Science Foundation, Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and CDKN.

START homepage: START
Research call information: Regional Research Call – Africa

START projects:

Safety Nets Simplified: Simulated Decision-Making in Volatile Developing Economies
Management of Ecosystem Services of the Forests of Southwest Nigeria in Support of Rural livelihoods and Food Security
Reducing tropical deforestation and the Protection of Ecosystem Services to support food security in Southwest Cameroon
Changes in Tree Reproductive Phenology: Causes and Implications in and around Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda
Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources, Agriculture and Food Security in the Ethiopian Rift Valley: Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies for Sustainable Ecosystem Services
Improving Seasonal Forecast Information for Managing On-farm Decisions
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Methods for Flood Risk Analyses, Responses and Adaptation in Rural Coastal Communities in Nigeria
Community-based management of ecosystems and natural resources for the improvement of rural livelihoods and food security in the Nigerian Savannah
Engaging farmers and climatologists in Adaptation to climate variability and change in the Okavango Delta of Botswana
The role of Urban and peri-urban agriculture in enhancing food security and climate change resilience in East and West African Cities
Assessing Adaptation Responses by Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana to Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss
The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security Among Coastal Communities of Keiskamma, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Sensitivity of Coastal Lagoon Ecosystems to Climate and Related Global Changes: Developing a North African Lagoons Network