Drought Impacts on Crops Sector and Adaptation Options in Burkina Faso : A Gender Focused Computable General Equilibrium Analysis
Date
2022-10
Authors
Sawadogo, Boureima
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Economic Research Consortium
Abstract
Burkina Faso has experienced recurrent droughts since the 1970s. Between 1969
and 2020, drought affected more than 15 million people in Burkina Faso. In 2011, for
example, the drought resulted in the loss of half a million tons of grain and caused a
food shortage that affected 2.8 million people (USAID, 2019). In addition, estimates
predict reductions in rainfall and increases in temperature by 2050 (USAID, 2019).
Such shocks would increase drought events and have adverse effects on economic
activities, particularly agricultural activities.
Droughts pose a threat to the stability of food production from agriculture in
Burkina Faso, but also to the production system as a whole, as well as the services
it provides. These effects affect both rural and urban households and both men and
women. However, women are less resilient to drought shocks, especially given their
low capacity to access productive resources, such as land, uninsured credit and low
capacity to migrate.
The economic and social situation in Burkina Faso is also generally poor, including
gender inequality. Approximately 41.4% of the population still lives below the poverty
line, and the average per capita income is $1,335 for women versus $2,077 for men
(PNUD, 2019). In addition, income poverty affects relatively more women (43.7%) than
men (40.6%) (Agbodji et al., 2015). Between 2014 and 2016, 20.7% of the population
of Burkina Faso was food insecure and rural areas are the most affected by extreme
poverty, with 94.4% suffering from hunger (INSD, 2015).