Climate Forecast Perception and Needs in Wetlands: a Case Study in the Inner Niger Delta in Mali

Abstract

Climate prediction is often presented as an efficient strategy for African farmers living in wetlands to better adapt to climate variability. This study focuses on the demand for climate information among water users of the Inner Niger Delta, which are the rice farmers, herders and fishermen. In the Delta, productions are closely associated with the complex fluvial-rain system. Users need information about both the coming rainy season and the floods which are conditioned by upstream basins rainfall. The required information includes the onset of the rainy season, the onset of the flooding of the plains, the duration of this flooding; and the probable maximum heights of the flood. Nevertheless, a good production year is conditioned by high flood, long flood for plains submersion duration and late flood compared with the start of local rainy seasons. Adjustment of practices based on climate information ranges from mobilizing effective means for field preparation and location to the seeding time for farmers. For herders, the information determines livestock entry and exit from the delta, the herd size management and sanitary treatments. For fishermen, the adjustment relates to the starting time of his activities, gear, fishing effort and the choice of the fishing location.