Impact of climate change on cotton production in Burkina Faso

Abstract

This paper evaluated the impact of climate change on cotton production in Burkina Faso. An econometric analysis resulted in identifying the major factors influencing cotton yields and evaluating the likely effects of future climate change. The results of our study regarding the potential impact of future climate change on cotton yield indicated that further increases in global temperature would significantly reduce the yield of cotton. Future changes in rainfall would also affect cotton production, but compared with the effects of temperature, the effects of rainfall are relatively lesser. Therefore, strategies for reducing the impacts of climate change on cotton production should emphasize the development of heat resistant cultivars rather than drought resistant ones in order to mitigate and adapt them to the effects of climate change. Key words: Climate change, cotton, economic impact, adaptation, Sahel, Burkina Faso.