Blog Post

Climate Trend Analysis in Senegal

Agricultural activities employ 77 percent of Senegal's workforce and account for 12.4 of its GDP. Despite the importance of agriculture to Senegal's development, however, the country is often subject to low rainfall and droughts, making its population particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. A new report from FEWS NET examines climatic trends in Senegal and finds several important implications for the country's agricultural production.

A Climate Trend Analysis of Senegal , part of the FEWS NET Informing Climate Change Adaptation Series, finds that seasonal summer rains have remained steady in Senegal over the past 20 years, but remain 15 percent below the 1920-1969 average. Temperatures have also risen since 1975, intensifying the impact of drought. With cereal yields remaining low and the amount of farmland per person rapidly declining, the country could see a 30 percent reduction in per capita cereal production by 2025.

To learn more about the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security, visit IFPRI Climate Change .