Climate change adaptation options to inform planning of agriculture and food systems in The Gambia: A systematic approach for stocktaking

Abstract

Identifying and assessing adaptation options are key pre-requisite steps to adaptation prioritization and effective adaptation planning. In this paper, we presented a systematic approach for adaptation stocktaking, combining a systematic mapping and an outcome-oriented and evidence-based assessment, illustrated using the case of The Gambia. This study systematically mapped 24 adaptation options that can potentially inform adaptation planning in The Gambia agriculture and food systems and assessed how the identified options contribute to the pillars of Climate-Smart Agriculture. Because of the paucity of evidence sources from The Gambia, we collated evidence from both The Gambia and the West Africa region. We found that many of the documented options, such as climate-resilient crop varieties, crop diversification, climate information use, and weather indexed-based insurance have the potential to increase agricultural productivity and income while building resilience to climate change. While several options, such as soil and water conservation practices can positively contribute to climate change mitigation, others such as manure and inorganic fertilizers can have no or negative impacts on mitigation. Agroforestry practices and System of Rice Intensification have the potential to make a triple impact. The paucity of evidence from The Gambia and the highly contextual and differential impacts of the identified adaptation options underscore the importance of careful consideration of barriers and enablers when developing and deploying policy and interventions to sustainably increase productivity and income while building resilience to climate risks and reducing GHGs emissions. Stakeholder engagement and participatory research action are crucial in selecting and testing the priority adaptation options which can maximize their potentials in specific agricultural and food system contexts, such as in The Gambia. Because of the heterogeneity in household vulnerability and socioecological circumstances, targeting options to the right contexts will also be crucial to avoid maladaptation. We highlighted key knowledge gaps in the understanding of the effectiveness and feasibility of the identified adaptation options in The Gambia. Beyond The Gambia, the approach can also be useful for and replicated in other least developed countries in the West African region, that are currently developing their National Adaptation Plan.

Adaptation to compound climate risks: A systematic global stocktake

“…Expanding sustainable irrigation may avert agricultural expansion but can create additional externalities including potentially negative impacts on food security, hydroclimatic conditions, water quality, soil salinization, water storage infrastructure, and energy use that are often neglected. 52 , 53 , 54 Increases in fire weather can also limit mitigation potential of forestry. 55 Adaptation and mitigation efforts may also have inadvertent adverse consequences for other social goals, as when efforts to design increasingly “walkable” cities may limit accessibility for people with limited mobility due to age or ability.…”

Addressing future food demand in The Gambia: can increased crop productivity and climate change adaptation close the supply–demand gap?

“…Although the government subsidises a large proportion of the fertiliser used in the country, its usage remains lower than in neighbouring Senegal and the West African average (World Bank, 2019 ). The high costs of fertiliser contribute to this low usage, as it renders fertiliser inaccessible for smallholder farmers, even when it is available (Segnon et al, 2022a , b ).…”

“…For example, climate change-induced weather variability necessitates reliable weather information for agricultural planning, helping farmers to make informed decisions and reduce risks associated with weather-related crop failures (MacCarthy et al, 2017 ; Segnon et al, 2022a , b ). Additionally, cultivating crops better adapted to tropical climates can be a promising strategy for ensuring a stable future food supply.…”

“…Climate change adaptation (CCA) scenarios: CCA practices typically respond to shifts in precipitation and temperature to enhance productivity. These practices include shifting planting dates, changing crop varieties (e.g., drought-resistant crops), crop rotations, altering soil management and fertilisation, and improving water management, among others (Segnon et al, 2021). The estimated impact of CCA practices on crop yields was based on a systematic review of climate change and adaptation strategies on major crops in West Africa (Carr et al, 2022), which showed that crop yields can increase by 13% on average by adopting techniques such as optimised planting dates, climate-resistant varieties, and increased fertiliser use under changing climate conditions.…”

“…Given The Gambia's vulnerability to climate change impacts, scaling up adaptation practices in agriculture and food systems is key to increase resilience to climatic risks. Several field studies in The Gambia and West Africa have confirmed the positive impact of various climate-smart agriculture techniques in mitigating climate change effects (Segnon et al, 2022a, b;Zougmoré et al, 2014Zougmoré et al, , 2018. Priority adaptation options, determined through evidencebased assessment and participatory processes (Segnon et al, 2022a, b), offer a strategic pathway for the expansion of these practices.…”