During the 1970s, when severe droughts affected West African farmers, cereal banks became popular in the region. However, things quickly became very quiet again about this type of food security scheme, probably also because many of the cereal banks failed. Scientific surveys addressing the topic are scarce. A study in The Gambia in 2014 investigated how such cereal banks function and what the important variables for their success are.

This document produced by CERPA in 2011 is a report on the number of water reservoirs/dams per commune in the departments of Atacora / Donga and points of the fishing infrastructures. The objective of this project is to identify pastoral water points in order to allow a good supervision of the agricultural actors. The issue of water management for good agricultural policy remains an important issue for Benin.

Table with sorghum plant height time series (primary/raw) from central field experiment plots in the Vea catchment (one of main research sites in the WASCAL Core Research Program), Ghana, 2013.

The main topic of the survey is the assessment of the impact of 2012 flood on income and expenditure and poverty status of farmers. Twelve farmers in 19 villages in two municipalities (Malanville and Karimama) have been interviewed.

Table with sorghum leaf area index (LAI) time series (primary/raw) from central field experiment plots in the Vea catchment (one of main research sites in the WASCAL Core Research Program), Ghana, 2013.

This document is a map of land and vegetation cover of the North Bank Region of the Gambia produced by the National Environment Agency of the Gambia (NEA). It is reproduced as a background map in 2015 by Constantine Kouevi, student WASCAL MRP-The Gambia, in her Master thesis. This study shows that there is a densification of human activities in this geographical space, which explains a high human concentration. Land management policies depend on the quality of natural resource management. This can lead to potential conflicts.

This document presents agricultural data collected in northern Benin provided by CERPA (Centre Régional pour la Promotion Agricole) in 2011. They are recorded in a set of tables informing on inputs (fertilizers and insecticides) used for food production (Rice and maize) and cotton during the period 2009-2010. It also indicates about the situation of the setting up of cash credits by the World Bank in each municipality in the study area. The aim of this agricultural project, led by CERPA, is to facilitate access to inputs in order to generate food self-sufficiency and reduce poverty. Indeed, the favorable natural, human and financial conditions for good agricultural production in Benin remain a major problem. This project, which is part of a viable and reliable agricultural policy, enables local, national and development partners to guarantee food security and to satisfy the full needs the populations.

The Gambia National Agricultural Investment Plan (GNAIP) is the medium-term (2011-2015) strategic plan of the Government of The Gambia (GOTG) towards achieving the vision for the agricultural and natural resources (ANR) sector and food security in the country within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa (NEPAD) Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). It is aligned fully with the national goals of Vision 2020, and supports the realization of main national strategic programmes, including the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II (PRSP II 2007-2011) and the ANR Sector Policy (2010). The proposed interventions are expected to achieve at least eight percent growth in the agricultural sector in The Gambia and this combined with accelerated non-agricultural growth could stimulate the level of growth needed in the sector to transform the country’s rural areas and to significantly reduce poverty levels. The GNAIP formulation process was highly consultative and participatory from the grassroots at village level to the highest level policy making body at national level through district, regional and national consultative meetings. There were also consultations with ECOWAS and its specialized institutions to ensure that the document is consistent with the CAADP pillars.

The development of this First National Communications has enabled my Department of State to develop an institutional framework that has brought together and consolidated the networking and dialogue between different economic sectors, CBOs and NGOs, and grassroots level communities. Technicians and scientists of different backgrounds and disciplines have pooled their expertise and worked together to develop this informative document. In this National Communication we have outlined the emissions of greenhouse gases from the major economic sectors and activities of the country, developed plausible climate change scenarios and based on these scenarios we have assessed the potential impacts of the projected climate change. The National Communication also contains measures and strategies to mitigate the concentration of greenhouse gases in the global atmosphere and adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. No detailed cost-benefit analysis was conducted on the mitigation and adaptation measures due to inadequate capacity to cost the effects of climate change. The potential impacts of climate change on crop production, biodiversity and wildlife, coastal resources, forestry, fisheries, rangelands and livestock, and water resources have been studied in great detail. Most of the impacts are negative and the populations are vulnerable. Although The Gambia is a small country, there are opportunities to invest on small-scale projects to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to adverse impacts of climate change. These projects would be in policy development, fuel switching including the efficient use of both renewable and non-renewable energy, use of efficient modes of transportation and conservation and sustainable use of forests. Cooperation between developed countries and The Gambia will enable all Parties to meet their commitments based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. The mitigation and adaptation measures presented in this first national communications will require funding to build national adaptive capacity and provide appropriate technologies to address climate change.

Table with sorghum phenology observations (primary/raw) from central field experiment plots in the Vea catchment (one of main research sites in the WASCAL Core Research Program), Ghana, 2013.