Comparing the Affect of Climate Change on Food Security and Farming in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Climate Change is the most pressing issue facing the planet today. It affects all aspects of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus, with one of the main threats being reduced agricultural productivity and output. Food insecurity in Africa is at the forefront of the continent’s discussion regarding climate change. Despite the importance of these studies to Africa, the Sahel region, and the countries within, remain under-researched and under-developed. This paper examines climate change's effect on food security in one of the Sahel’s most populous countries, Burkina Faso. Through satellite imagery and remote sensing, the effect on food security was observed by restricting data displays to Burkina Faso, and two of its provinces, Hauts-Bassins and Sahel. Burkina Faso’s primary threat to food security is irregularity and instability within the Sahel’s climate. Rainfall and surface temperature only varied by 1-2% in the decade, however heavy dependence on rain-fed crops in subsistence agriculture exacerbates that issue. Irregularity in land coverage and crop quality also contributes to food insecurity. An over-reliance on subsistence agriculture has made Burkina Faso vulnerable to minor and major environmental changes. This study highlights a series of factors threatening farming in the Sahel, and potential solutions to combat food insecurity.