Characterization of climate risks for rice crop in Casamance, Senegal

Abstract

This chapter contributes to a global reflection on climate change and its implications for agricultural production. We present a case study aiming to quantify trends of climate risks for rice crop in Casamance (Senegal). We evaluate the recurrence of drought and extreme rainfall conditions in the most sensitive phases of plant life and identify trends in the rainy season distribution. To overcome the low quality of climate records from gauge stations in the Region we use the rainfall estimation Climate Hazards group with InfraRed Precipitation Stations (CHIRPS), a daily gridded dataset with 0.05′ resolution over the period 1981–2013. The analysis is centered on the critical aspects that determine rice final yield such as: availability of water in the (i) plant germination and (ii) flowering phases, and (iii) the dynamics of the rainy season. We use the return period method to identify extreme events probability in rice crop’s sensitive phases. Lastly, we identify the dynamics of the three parameters of the growing season: start, end and length by highlighting significant changes recorded in the study period (1981–2010). These outputs aim to support strategic agronomic choices in the Region.