Farmers' perceptions of hydroclimatic variability and climate change: Survey-based insights in Northern Benin, West Africa

Orou Moctar Ganni Mampo^1*Kossi François GUEDJE²Bruno Merz³Halissou Yarou⁴Elena Macdonald³Adéchina Eric Alamou⁵

• ¹West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• ²Laboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphère (LPA) de l’ Université d'Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Abomey-Calavi, Benin
• ³GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
• ⁴Laboratory of Applied Hydrology, National Water Institute, University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Benin
• ⁵Laboratoire de Géoscience de l’Environnement et Application (LaGEA/UNSTIM), Abomey, Benin

Farmers in West Africa face increasing challenges from droughts and hydroclimatic variability, exacerbated by climate change. Understanding these changes and their drivers is crucial for developing effective adaptations strategies. This study investigates farming households in Northern Benin, assessing their knowledge of hydroclimatic variability and identifying the factors influencing their understanding. Using a questionnaire survey of 509 households across 96 villages in eight municipalities, we analysed both qualitative and quantitative data through statistical methods and machine learning methods. Results reveal that while 71% of farmers have a solid grasp of local hydroclimatic variability, significant gaps remain regarding its underlying causes; only 9% attributed temperature increases to global climate change. Older farmers (mean age: 55 years) and those with over 30 years of experience demonstrated higher knowledge than less experienced farmers. Conversely, formal education had little to no impact. These findings highlight the critical role of indigenous knowledge, accumulated through long-term environmental interaction, in shaping climate awareness. They underscore the need to integrate indigenous knowledge with formal education to improve the understanding of the drivers of these changes.Targeted investments in education, alongside leveraging the experiential knowledge of older farmers, can enhance climate resilience in vulnerable regions. These insights provide a novel perspective on how policymakers can bridge traditional wisdom and modern scientific approaches for more effective climate adaptation.