Agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the majority of West Africans. The agricultural sector employs 60 percent of the active labor force but contributes only 35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The disparity between contribution to GDP and share of population means that many...

Senegal is the most westerly state of West Africa. The country is relatively flat, with low relief. Its total land area is 196,192 square kilometers. Its northern border, which is shared with Mauritania, is defined by the Senegal River. The Falémé River delineates part of the eastern border...

The Republic of Guinea covers an area of 245,857 square kilometers divided into seven administrative regions: Kindia, Boké, Mamou, Labé, Faranah, Kankan, and N’Zérékoré. The country consists of four major agroecological regions: coastal (Lower Guinea), middle (Fouta Djallon), upper, and...

West African agriculture and climate change: A comprehensive analysis

Liberia is situated at the southwest corner of the West Coast of Africa. It lies between the longitudes of 7°30´ and 11°30´ west and latitudes 4°18´ and 8°30´ north. It covers a surface area of about 111,370 square kilometers (about 43,506 square miles). The extent of its...

Benin covers a land area of 114,763 square kilometers and occupies a long stretch of land perpendicular to the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. It is bordered on the north by Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger, on the east by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and on the west by the...

Climate variability is a reality that is affecting rural livelihoods in West Africa today and presenting a growing challenge in the region, as in many other parts of the African continent and elsewhere. Climate change will have far-reaching consequences for the poor and marginalized groups among...

According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Le Treut et al. 2007, 96), climate is defined as average weather over a period of time, ranging from months to millions of years. Climate is usually described in terms of the mean and variability...

Our purpose in this chapter is to help policymakers and researchers better understand and anticipate the likely impacts of climate change on agriculture and on vulnerable households in Nigeria. We do this by reviewing current data on agriculture and economic development, modeling anticipated...

The West African state of Côte d’Ivoire has an area of 322,465 square kilometers, with a coastline of 540 kilometers along the Gulf of Guinea. It shares borders with Liberia in the southwest, Guinea in the northwest, Mali and Burkina Faso in the north, and Ghana in the east. The southern part...