Land Salinization Effects on Farm Household Incomes and Coping Strategies. Case of the Keur Waly Ndiaye village, Ndiaffate, Kaolack (Senegal)

Select Volume / Issue:

• Volume 9,Issue 6, Nov. 2022

Year:

2022

Type of Publication:

Article

Keywords:

Salinization, Coping Strategies, Income, Rural Households, Senegal

Authors:

Ba, Awa; Ndiaye, Adama; Ndiaye, Ndeye Maguette; Faye, Elhadji

Journal:

IJRAS

Volume:

9

Number:

6

Pages:

155-168

Month:

November

ISSN:

2348-3997

Abstract:

Senegal is experiencing strong land salinization amplified by climate variability over the past decades and by human actions. To deal with this problem, this study was conducted on the evaluation of the land salinization effects on farm household incomes and coping strategies of the Keur Waly Ndiaye village, in the Ndiaffate commune, in Kaolack, one region located in the Groundnut Basin of Senegal. Following the literature review, we conducted quantitative and qualitative surveys of the 25 rural households of this village. Results showed that, before salinization, farm land was very fertile and very productive and crops were very diversified, with cereals such as millet, maize and sorghum, cash crops such as groundnuts and fruits like watermelon. However, salinization has caused the disappearance of cereals such as sorghum and fruits such as watermelon, reduced cereal production and led to a drop in producers agricultural income. Thus, strategies implemented by farmers to fight against this scourge, in particular by renting land in other villages have increased their number to 15% for groundnut producers and 11% for millet producers. Those coping strategies have also increased their production and income. In addition, women producers have converted to salt mining in salinized land in order to generate basic or additional income for their households.

Full text: IJRAS_1086_FINAL.pdf [Bibtex]