Impact of Floods on Farmers’ Livelihoods in the Semi-arid Zone of Benin

Abstract

Fluvial flooding is a common and devastating natural disaster that causes significant economic and social damage. Since 2007, Benin has experienced frequent floods. In the semiarid zone of Benin, the last flood occurred in August 2012, and many farmers lost most of their crops. However, no study was conducted to show the effects of recent flooding on the livelihoods of farmers. To fill this gap in knowledge, a survey was conducted in Benin, a small country located in the south of the Sahel. Two municipalities, Malanville and Karimama, were chosen because of their locations at the downstream of the Benin part of the Niger basin and the harsh effects experienced by the farmers during the flooding in 2012. Within these municipalities, we focused on the villages near the four rivers of the basin. Within the 19 villages targeted, the sampling rate was 14.67%, and the sample size was 228 farmers. The econometric framework adopted was the Rubin causal model with simple linear regression using ordinary least squares. The results show that the 2012 flood had significant impacts. An increase of 1% in flooding duration was found to correspond to a loss in agricultural income of approximately 0.40%. When a farmer stated that the severity of flooding in 2012 was major, his household agricultural income was reduced by approximately 1.44% compared to a farmer who stated that the flooding was minor. An increase of 1% in the cultivated area that was flooded corresponded to a loss in agricultural income of approximately 0.27%. The introduction of water-resistant species to withstand the effects of flooding should be encouraged in the study area. Future researches will focus on the estimation of flood insurance premiums, the design of the insurance, and the implementation of the insurance.