IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CROP PRODUCTION IN WEST AFRICA

Abstract

The impact of climate change on West African crop production is severe and multifaceted with over 95.0% of croplands being rainfed, characterized by projected median yield losses of −11% and documented reductions of 10–20% for millet and 5–15% for sorghum, driven by rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme events that exacerbate regional food insecurity. This review synthesizes evidence from case studies across Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, demonstrating that adaptation strategies such as optimized planting dates and climate-resilient varieties, can offset losses by 13–19%, though their efficacy is highly context-specific and constrained by socio-economic barriers like limited access to credit and extension services. Policy implementation, while promising in instances like Senegal’s large-scale irrigation schemes, is often hindered by inadequate resources and weak institutional capacity. Critical research gaps persist, including a need for longitudinal studies on adaptation sustainability, frameworks for integrating Indigenous knowledge with scientific forecasting, and gendered impact analyses. Addressing these gaps through genomics-assisted breeding, decentralized climate services, and financial mechanisms is imperative for developing evidence-based, localized policies that bolster resilience and secure food production across the region’s diverse agro-ecologies.