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Adapting to drought in the Sahel: Lessons for climate change

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  • Michael Mortimore

Abstract

The Sahel's experience of adapting to changes in rainfall on a scale at least comparable to that of climate change scenarios, between the 1960s and the 1990s, suggests that lessons can be learnt that may have a wider utility for policy in the future. The Sahel is a major global agroecological region and its success in adaptation will influence the achievement of the global Millennium Development Goals. From simple typologies of adaptation strategies, our understanding of adaptive capacity has evolved over time (with accumulating observations) into a contextual model which places drought management at the center of a development process. Climate change impacts in future are very uncertain. Policies and interventions should therefore aim to build on the platform of past achievements and existing local knowledge to enable flexibility and diversity and the protection of assets of small‐scale farmers and herders. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This article is categorized under: Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Learning from Cases and Analogies

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  • Michael Mortimore, 2010. "Adapting to drought in the Sahel: Lessons for climate change," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(1), pages 134-143, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:wirecc:v:1:y:2010:i:1:p:134-143
    DOI: 10.1002/wcc.25
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    Cited by:

    1. David O'Connor & James Ford, 2014. "Increasing the Effectiveness of the “Great Green Wall” as an Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change and Desertification in the Sahel," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Richard A. Mbih & Steven L. Driever & Stephen K. Ndzeidze & Mbongowo J. Mbuh & Carine S. Bongadzem & Harry M. Wirngo, 2018. "Fulani pastoralists’ transformation process: a sustainable development approach in the Western Highlands of Cameroon," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 789-807, April.
    3. Rasmussen, Laura Vang, 2018. "Re-Defining Sahelian ‘Adaptive Agriculture’ when Implemented Locally: Beyond Techno-fix Solutions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 274-282.
    4. Nadir Elagib, 2015. "Drought risk during the early growing season in Sahelian Sudan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 79(3), pages 1549-1566, December.
    5. Rodrigue Vivien Cao Diogo & Luc Hippolyte Dossa & Sèyi Fridaïus Ulrich Vanvanhossou & Badirou Dine Abdoulaye & Kossi Hélliot Dosseh & Marcel Houinato & Eva Schlecht & Andreas Buerkert, 2021. "Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.
    6. Hart, P. Sol & Stedman, Richard C. & Clarke, Christopher E., 2021. "Political polarization in support for subsidizing unprofitable coal power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    7. Allison M. Chatrchyan & Rachel C. Erlebacher & Nina T. Chaopricha & Joana Chan & Daniel Tobin & Shorna B. Allred, 2017. "United States agricultural stakeholder views and decisions on climate change," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 8(5), September.
    8. Agúndez, Dolores & Lawali, Sitou & Mahamane, Ali & Alía, Ricardo & Soliño, Mario, 2022. "Development of agroforestry food resources in Niger: Are farmers’ preferences context specific?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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