The Economic Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture in Cameroon

Molua, Ernest L. ; Lambi, Cornelius M.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ADVERSE EFFECTS;    AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT;    AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-4364
RP-ID  :  WPS4364

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This study examines the impact ofclimate change on crop farming in Cameroon. Thecountry's economy is predominantly agrarian andagriculture and the exploitation of natural resources remainthe driving force for the country's economicdevelopment. Fluctuations in national income are due notmerely to the decline in world demand for Cameroon'straditional agricultural exports or to mistakes in economicpolicy making, but also to the vagaries of the weather.Based on a farm-level survey of more than 800 farms, thestudy employs a Ricardian cross-sectional approach tomeasure the relationship between climate and the net revenuefrom crops. Net revenue is regressed on climate, water flow,soil, and economic variables. Further, uniform scenariosassume that only one aspect of climate changes and thechange is uniform across the whole country. The analysisfinds that net revenues fall as precipitation decreases ortemperatures increase across all the surveyed farms. Thestudy reaffirms that agriculture in Cameroon is oftenlimited by seasonality and the availability of moisture.Although other physical factors, such as soil and relief,have an important influence on agriculture, climate remainsthe dominant influence on the variety of crops cultivatedand the types of agriculture practiced.