The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

The weather of the future in Burkina Faso is already here…

Alessandra Giannini alesall@iri.columbia.edu

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

scientific evidence in the context of regional climatic trends. Thus, our comparisons of farmer perceptions andrainfall data help establish this link between regional rainfall trends and local realities.

METHODOLOGY

This study draws on ethnographic research carried out in two provinces of the Central Plateau (Figure 2). In theNamentenga Province, research was conducted in Bonam (pop. 2800) located near the provincial capital of Boulsa.Fieldwork took place during three separate research sessions (4–6 weeks each) in January 1998, June 1998, andJanuary 1999, followed up by brief visits between 2001 and 2004. Fieldwork in the Bam Province included one3-month trip, from June to August of 2002, in the village of Rollo (pop. 4500), followed by a 12-month trip, from

Figure 2. Map of Burkina Faso and study sites. Geospatial data was provided by the Geographical Institute of Burkina (IGB).

Copyright # 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT, (2008)DOI: 10.1002/ldr

C. T. WEST ET AL.

The climate of Burkina Faso [and the Sahel] has been changing

“Local perceptions and regional climate trends on the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso” West, Roncoli and Ouattara 2008, in Land Degrad. Develop.

•  Annual rainfall is lower

•  Recurrence of “big rains”, dry spells, violent thunderstorms has changed

•  Rains come late, end early

•  Longer-season varieties of crops have disappeared

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

The climate of Burkina Faso [and the Sahel] has been changing

•  Annual rainfall is lower

“Changes in seasonal descriptors of precipitation in Burkina Faso associated with the late 20th century drought and recovery in West Africa” Lodoun et al. 2013, in Environ Develop

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

The climate of Burkina Faso [and the Sahel] has been changing

•  Recurrence of “big rains”, dry spells, violent thunderstorms has changed

“Changes in seasonal descriptors of precipitation in Burkina Faso associated with the late 20th century drought and recovery in West Africa” Lodoun et al. 2013, in Environ Develop

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

The climate of Burkina Faso [and the Sahel] has been changing

•  Rains come late, end early

early

l

ate

“Changes in seasonal descriptors of precipitation in Burkina Faso associated with the late 20th century drought and recovery in West Africa” Lodoun et al. 2013, in Environ Develop

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

Total annual rainfall (PA) and number of rainy days (NRD) go together, while mean daily intensity (INT) has been creeping upwards since the late 1970s

“Changes in seasonal descriptors of precipitation in Burkina Faso associated with the late 20th century drought and recovery in West Africa” Lodoun et al. 2013, in Environ Develop

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

The recent evolution of Burkinabé [Sahelian] rainfall: anomalously wet, persistently dry, increased variability can be explained by sea surface temperatures

The International Research Institutefor Climate and Society

Adaptation may already be happening, with the “re-greening” of the Sahel

“Changing land management practices and vegetation on the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso (1968- 2002)” Reij et al. 2005, in J Arid Env

Alessandra Giannini alesall@iri.columbia.edu

web: iri.columbia.edu

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