Partners of the project “Adapting small-scale irrigation to climate change in West and Central Africa” from Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger and the Gambia, gathered in Abidjan to discuss adaptation strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on irrigation systems. At the regional workshop held from 3 to 7 December 2018, the project partners validated the results of simulations of the impact of climate change on crop yields. These simulations were developed by the regional center Agrhymet from Niger, in collaboration with the University of Leuven (Belgium) and FAO. They aim at simulating agricultural production based on historical data and at determining potential yields under different climate scenarios. During the workshop, stakeholders also identified adaptation strategies and measures to mitigate the effects of climate change on the various irrigation systems in the four countries. These adaption strategies and measures will be part of a report that will be published in 2019 in the framework of the project.

During the workshop, participants visited a rice field in Tiassalé in the north of Abidjan to exchange experiences with local farmers from the cooperative Coderiz.

This regional workshop was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) of Côte d'Ivoire. It was attended by project partners, including national consultants and national focal points (representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture) from Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger and the Gambia, as well as FAO, IFAD and other stakeholders involved in agricultural water management from Côte d'Ivoire.

Also see FAO Côte d'Ivoire