Adaptations aux impacts de la variabilité et des changements climatiques sur la cacaocultutre a Mbangassina (centre-Cameroun)

Abstract

Situated in Guinea's equatorial climate zone, with two rainy and two dry seasons, Mbangassina’s natural conditions are favorable for the development of cocoa farming, particularly in the forest area. Cocoa growing in Mbangassina is highly dependent on the climate, which regrettably is increasingly threatened by climate variability and change. The objective of the present study is to contribute to a greater understanding and improvement of the state of adaptation of cocoa farming to the impacts of climate variability and change in Mbangassina. The methodology used to achieve this objective is quantitative, qualitative and cartographic. Based on bibliographical research, field observations and measurements, semi- structured interviews and a survey of 245 cocoa farmers, climatic, agronomic and socio-economic data and people's perceptions were collected and analyzed statistically, in terms of content, and mapped at the level of the eight groups that make up the Mbangassina district, using software such as SPSS, Excel, Qgis and ARCgis. Our analyses show that the main climatic hazards threatening cocoa production in Mbangassina are decreasing rainfall, changes in the start and end dates of the seasons, an increase in the length of the dry season, and rising temperatures. Projections to 2090 indicate a temperature increase of 1.9°C to 3.8°C and a decrease in rainfall by 2090, which implies a greater risk of drought for cocoa production. Cocoa farmer’s perceptions are in line with observed and projected climatological analyses. This has a number of consequences, including yellowing of cherries before maturity, drying out of cocoa trees, and disruption of the agricultural calendar and lack of water for cocoa trees. To curb these impacts, local communities, supported by various organizations, are mobilizing measures such as the use of phytosanitary products and the replacement of dead cocoa trees. However, given the inadequacy of adaptation services it offer, the need for adaptation remains enormous and needs to be improved for more climate-smart cocoa farming.