Climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa: a menace to agricultural productivity and ecological protection

Due to inadequate adaptation capacity, Sub-Saharan Africa has been depicted as the most vulnerable region with regards to global climate change, this is because of its reliance on agricultural activities for sustenance to livelihood which is highly sensitive to climate variables such as temperature variation, rainfall intensity, humidity patterns, and other extreme weather events. This paper reviews how climate change constitutes a menace to agricultural productivity and ecological protection using a qualitative approach. And importantly suggests ways to overcome such problems. Relevant literature was gathered from secondary data through articles, reports, journals from scientific publications, online websites and Conference Papers. From the review, it is revealed that climate change in Africa has a very significant effect on average temperature, rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events. It was also reviewed that climate has a negative effect on agricultural production and the ecological niche in Sub-Saharan Africa. Evidently, due to past and present climate change; agricultural land, growing season and yield as well as, ecological degradation will cause a decline to sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is the center of this problem. Climate change adversely affects biodiversity protection through aggravated weather conditions, increased temperature, increased land salinity, excessive rainfall, storms, hurricanes and tornadoes which climax in ecosystem ruin. This review has clearly confirmed that Sub-Saharan Africa is indeed the most vulnerable region to climate change. To this end, policies aimed at promoting farm level adaptation strategies and mitigation of climate change with regards to ecological protection are highly recommended.Keywords: Climate change, Ecological protection, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sustainable developmen

CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND YIELDS OF MAJOR STAPLE FOOD CROPS IN NORTHERN GHANA

Climate variability, the short-term fluctuations in average weather conditions and agriculture affect each other. Climate variability affects the agroecological and growing conditions of crops and livestock, and is recently believed to be the greatest impediment to the realisation of the first Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty and food insecurity in arid and semi-arid regions of developing countries. Conversely, agriculture is a major contributor to climate variability and change by emitting greenhouse gases and reducing the agroecology\u2019s potential for carbon sequestration. What however, is the empirical evidence of this inter-dependence of climate variability and agriculture in Sub-Sahara Africa? In this paper, we provide some insight into the long run relationship between inter-annual variations in temperature and rainfall, and annual yields of the most important staple food crops in Northern Ghana. Applying pooled panel data of rainfall, temperature and yields of the selected crops from 1976 to 2010 to cointegration and Granger causality models, there is cogent evidence of cointegration between seasonal, total rainfall and crop yields; and causality from rainfall to crop yields in the Sudano-Guinea Savannah and Guinea Savannah zones of Northern Ghana. This suggests that inter-annual yields of the crops have been influenced by the total amounts of rainfall in the planting season. Temperature variability over the study period is however stationary, and is suspected to have minimal effect, if any, on crop yields. Overall, the results confirm the appropriateness of our attempt in modelling long-term relationships between the climate and crop yield variables.La variabilit\ue9 du climat, les fluctuations \ue0 court terme des conditions m\ue9t\ue9orologiques moyennes et l\u2019agriculture s\u2019affectent mutuellement. La variabilit\ue9 climatique affecte les conditions agro\ue9cologiques et les conditions de croissance des cultures ainsi que l\u2019\ue9levage, et serait le principal obstacle \ue0 la r\ue9alisation du premier objectif principal du \u2018Millennium Development Goal\u2019 pour la r\ue9duction de la pauvret\ue9 et l\u2019ins\ue9curit\ue9 alimentaire dans des r\ue9gions arides et semi arides des pays en d\ue9veloppement. Inversement, l\u2019agriculture contribue de fa\ue7on importante \ue0 la variabilit\ue9 climatique et changement par l\u2019\ue9mission des gaz \ue0 effet de serre et r\ue9duction du potentiel agro\ue9cologique pour la s\ue9questration du carbone. Ceci constitue une \ue9vidence empirique de l\u2019interd\ue9pendance de la variabilit\ue9 climatique et l\u2019agriculture en Afrique sub-saharienne. Cet article pr\ue9sente une relation \ue0 long terme entre les variations interannuelles de la temp\ue9rature et de la pluviom\ue9trie ainsi que les rendements annuels de la plupart des cultures de base dans le Nord du Ghana. L\u2019application d\u2019un ensemble des donn\ue9es pluviom\ue9triques, temp\ue9rature et rendements des cultures s\ue9lectionn\ue9es depuis 1976 \ue0 2O12 pour la co-int\ue9gration et simulation par le mod\ue8le de causalit\ue9 Granger, li ya une forte \ue9vidence de la co-int\ue9gration entre les saisons, la pluviom\ue9trie totale et les rendements des cultures, ainsi que la causalit\ue9 de la pluviom\ue9trie aux rendements des cultures dans les savanes soudano-Guin\ue9ennes et les savanes guin\ue9ennes du nord du Ghana. Ceci sugg\ue8re les rendements interannuels des cultures ont \ue9t\ue9 influenc\ue9 par les quantit\ue9s totales des pluies au cours de la saison culturale. La variabilit\ue9 de la temp\ue9rature pendant la p\ue9riode d\u2019\ue9tude est par ailleurs stationnaire, et aurait un effet minimal ou non sur les rendements des cultures. En somme, les r\ue9sultats confirment la pertinence de cette tentative de mod\ue9lisation des relations \ue0 long terme entre le climat et les variables du rendement des cultures

Determinants of Fisher’s Choice of Fishing Activity along the Volta Lake in Yeji, Ghana

The study examined factors that influence people’s decision to engage in the fishery-related activities in Yeji, a major inland fishing town in Ghana. A total of 304 respondents were randomly selected and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. The analysis was done using the Ordered Probit Model and descriptive statistics. The study revealed that fishers in Yeji depend on the small-scale fisheries as their source of livelihood. The Ordered Probit regression analysis showed that the likelihood to engage in the fishery-related activities was significantly influenced by factors such as fishers’ level of education, average daily catch, gear ownership (boat), credit access, fishing experience, income and household size. The study revealed that lack of credit access as affirmed by majority (82%) of the respondents as the major challenge faced in the study areas. It is concluded that the fisheries sub-sector has the potential to boost economic growth, reduce poverty and ensure household food security in Yeji. It is therefore recommended that Ghana government through the Fisheries Commission should put in place sustainable measures and strategies that would ensure availability of fishing nets and boats for rural poor fishers.Key words: Volta Lake, Determinants, Fishing Experience, Likelihood, Ordered Probit Mode

Climate Change Impacts on West African Agriculture: An Integrated Regional Assessment (CIWARA)

The West African Sub-Saharan region (Fig. 1) is home to some 300 million people, with at least 60% engaged in agricultural activity. Climate change is now recognized as a major constraint to development worldwide. While climate change primarily relates to the future, historical trends give evidence of climate change already occurring. Temperature increases of 1 to 1.5◦C have been observed over the last 30 years in West Africa (EPA Ghana, 2001; IPCC, 2007) and there are projections of further warming of the West African region in the foreseeable future (2040–2069; Fig. 2a). The impact of climate change on West African rainfall is less clear. The analysis of historical data over the last 30 years shows that, whereas some zones experienced increased rainfall by as much as 20% to 40%, other locations experienced a decline in annual rainfall by about 15%. Future projections suggest a drier western Sahel (e.g., Senegal) but a wetter eastern Sahel (e.g., Mali, Niger; Fig. 2b). The southern locations of WestAfrica (e.g., Ghana) are projected to experience no change or slight increases in annual rainfall (Hulme et al., 2001). Irrespective of whether these zones will be dryer or not, there is historical evidence of shifts in rainfall patterns with extreme events (i.e., droughts and floods) becoming more frequent (Adiku and Stone, 1995) and it is probable that this trend may persist into the future..

CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND YIELDS OF MAJOR STAPLE FOOD CROPS IN NORTHERN GHANA

Climate variability, the short-term fluctuations in average weather conditions and agriculture affect each other. Climate variability affects the agroecological and growing conditions of crops and livestock, and is recently believed to be the greatest impediment to the realisation of the first Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty and food insecurity in arid and semi-arid regions of developing countries. Conversely, agriculture is a major contributor to climate variability and change by emitting greenhouse gases and reducing the agroecology’s potential for carbon sequestration. What however, is the empirical evidence of this inter-dependence of climate variability and agriculture in Sub-Sahara Africa? In this paper, we provide some insight into the long run relationship between inter-annual variations in temperature and rainfall, and annual yields of the most important staple food crops in Northern Ghana. Applying pooled panel data of rainfall, temperature and yields of the selected crops from 1976 to 2010 to cointegration and Granger causality models, there is cogent evidence of cointegration between seasonal, total rainfall and crop yields; and causality from rainfall to crop yields in the Sudano-Guinea Savannah and Guinea Savannah zones of Northern Ghana. This suggests that inter-annual yields of the crops have been influenced by the total amounts of rainfall in the planting season. Temperature variability over the study period is however stationary, and is suspected to have minimal effect, if any, on crop yields. Overall, the results confirm the appropriateness of our attempt in modelling long-term relationships between the climate and crop yield variables.La variabilité du climat, les fluctuations à court terme des conditions météorologiques moyennes et l’agriculture s’affectent mutuellement. La variabilité climatique affecte les conditions agroécologiques et les conditions de croissance des cultures ainsi que l’élevage, et serait le principal obstacle à la réalisation du premier objectif principal du ‘Millennium Development Goal’ pour la réduction de la pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire dans des régions arides et semi arides des pays en développement. Inversement, l’agriculture contribue de façon importante à la variabilité climatique et changement par l’émission des gaz à effet de serre et réduction du potentiel agroécologique pour la séquestration du carbone. Ceci constitue une évidence empirique de l’interdépendance de la variabilité climatique et l’agriculture en Afrique sub-saharienne. Cet article présente une relation à long terme entre les variations interannuelles de la température et de la pluviométrie ainsi que les rendements annuels de la plupart des cultures de base dans le Nord du Ghana. L’application d’un ensemble des données pluviométriques, température et rendements des cultures sélectionnées depuis 1976 à 2O12 pour la co-intégration et simulation par le modèle de causalité Granger, li ya une forte évidence de la co-intégration entre les saisons, la pluviométrie totale et les rendements des cultures, ainsi que la causalité de la pluviométrie aux rendements des cultures dans les savanes soudano-Guinéennes et les savanes guinéennes du nord du Ghana. Ceci suggère les rendements interannuels des cultures ont été influencé par les quantités totales des pluies au cours de la saison culturale. La variabilité de la température pendant la période d’étude est par ailleurs stationnaire, et aurait un effet minimal ou non sur les rendements des cultures. En somme, les résultats confirment la pertinence de cette tentative de modélisation des relations à long terme entre le climat et les variables du rendement des cultures

Rice import liberalization in Ghana

No Abstract

Testing the Performance of Fresh Tomato Markets Following Import Trade Liberalization in Ghana:

A chronic issue of policy concern in Ghana is the implication of trade liberalization for the performance of agricultural markets. Much public opinion in Ghana blames the perennially volatile, highly dispersed and uncompetitive prices of tomato on the importation of cheap tomato products into Ghana. There is however insufficient empirical evidence to confirm this opinion. To the best of our knowledge, no empirical research on the performance of tomato markets in the post-liberalization period in Ghana has ever been conducted. This paper therefore seeks to provide evidence on the performance of Ghana’s tomato markets following trade liberalization. Such evidence is useful in assessing the implication of liberalization for the performance of Ghana’s food commodity markets. We used the threshold autoregressive model to analyse wholesale prices of fresh tomato gathered from four major markets in Ghana. The findings reveal that price transmission and adjustments parameters, key indicators of market performance, declined following the actual liberalization of Ghana’s agricultural markets. It appears that the underlying factors responsible for the performance of the tomato markets deteriorated over the period of the study. This may be evidence of liberalization being partly responsible for the marketing problem of tomato in Ghana.Key Words/Descriptors: Trade Liberalization, Price Transmission, MarketIntegration, Tomato, Commodities Market