AFRICAN CLIMATE, FARMING SYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Get Complete Project Material File(s) Now! »

African climate and agricultural potential

According to the IPCC (2001), most parts of Africa are mainly tropical and experience hot and dry conditions. Temperate climatic conditions are found in the extreme south and north, and at high altitudes in between. Humid conditions are experienced in parts of West Africa, including the western part of Central Africa, throughout the year. The subhumid region covers a large area north and south of the humid central region, and experiences substantial rainfall during the wet season and almost no rain during the dry season. Semi-arid climates are located from the sub-humid region further to the poles, and are characterised by extreme unreliability of rainfall. Most of the human population is located in the sub-humid and semi-arid zones (IPCC, 2001).
Scientific evidence on global warming shows that further increases in average temperatures of 1.4-5.8°C are expected in the 21st century (Wilson, 2001). These increases are expected to be more harmful in tropical areas such as Africa that are already experiencing very high temperatures. Most climate models predict more frequent and severe extreme weather events in the tropics generally, including both localised drought and flooding. Agricultural productivity in Africa is considered to be vulnerable to such extreme weather events.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY.
1.3 HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
1.4 APPROACH AND METHODS OF THE STUDY
1.5 ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS
CHAPTER 2 AFRICAN CLIMATE, FARMING SYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 AFRICAN CLIMATE AND AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL
2.2 AGRO-CLIMATES AND FARMING SYSTEMS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.
2.3 CHARACTERISATION OF SELECTED PRIORITY FARMING SYSTEMS
2.4 IMPORTANCE OF LIVESTOCK IN AFRICAN FARMING SYSTEMS..
2.5 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS IN MAJOR FARMING SYSTEMS
2.6 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE
3.0 INTRODUCTION
3.1 APPROACHES TO MEASURING ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
3.1.1 Structural approaches
3.1.2 The Spatial analogue approach
3.1.2.1 The Future Agricultural Resources Model (FARM)
3.1.2.2 Ricardian cross-sectional approach
3.1.3 Integrated assessment models
3.1.4 Agro-ecological zone (AEZ) method
3.2 EMPIRICAL STUDIES ASSESSING IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE
3.2.1 Empirical studies based on structural approaches.
3.2.2 Empirical studies based on the cross-sectional (Ricardian) approach
3.3 SUMMARY.
CHAPTER 4 MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.
4.0 INTRODUCTION
4.1 SPECIFICATION OF THE EMPIRICAL RICARDIAN MODEL FOR MEASURING ECONOMIC IMPACTS OFCLIMATE CHANGE
4.2 THE DATA AND MODEL VARIABLES
4.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.4 FORECASTING IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON NET REVENUE
4.4.1 Climate sensitivity scenarios
4.4.2 AOGCM climate scenarios .
4.5 SUMMARY AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS.
CHAPTER 5 THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL STUDIES RELATING TO THE ECONOMICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 6 DETERMINANTS OF CLIMATE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES OF AFRICAN FARMERS:MULTINOMIAL CHOICE ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND RESEARCH.
REFERENCES