Perception of climate change by cattle herders and meteorological observations in the Upper Oueme Basin in Benin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19182/remvt.36761Keywords
cattle, pastoralists, perception, climate change, BeninAbstract
The adaptation strategies developed by rural populations in general and cattle herders in particular in the face of climate disruption reflect their overall perception. Thus, the good or bad perception of climate change determines the relevance of adaptation measures. The objective of this study was to analyze the perception of climate change by cattle herders and their relevance compared to meteorological observations in the Upper Oueme Basin in Benin. This analysis was based on the collection of meteorological data (rainfall and temperature) over the period from 1980 to 2019 and socio-anthropological data from field surveys. Three hundred cattle farmers were surveyed. The main data collected in the field were related to socio-demographic characteristics and perception of climate change. Meteorological data were analyzed with the Standardized Precipitation Index and field data with the frequency method. Results revealed that herders perceived an increase in average temperature and an extension of the dry season, which was consistent with weather observations. In contrast, their perception of a decrease in rainfall extremes, an increase in temperature extremes, an early end of the rainy season, a late onset of the rainy season, and a shorter duration of the rainy season were contrary to meteorological observations. Taking into account the perception of cattle farmers in the development of climate change adaptation policies would highly contribute to the sustainable development of the livestock sector.
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© G.L.Djohy et al., hosted by CIRAD 2021
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