Perceptions and strategies of adaptation to climate changes: the cases of Adjohoun and Dangbo districts in south-east Benin

This study focuses on human variable as responsible for climate change. It was carried out in two districts of Ouémé Valley based on its numerous hydro-agricultural potentialities and their vulnerability to intensified agricultural activities. The research methodology includes an exploratory study which enabled to choose villages based on criteria such as toposequence, and the importance of agricultural activities ; in-depth survey with the administration of a structured questionnaire to 70 small-scale individual farmers ; semi structured, informal individual and focus group interviews, participatory transect walks and triangulation of complementary information sources. The analysis of perceptions and adaptation strategies were jointly made with interviewed farmers and SAS was used to analyse main components. The results revealed that farmers perceived and acknowledged climate change effects, which brought about serious socio-economic upheavals the last fifteen years. These upheavals relate to erratic precipitations characterized with sequences of flooding, lengthened drought, higher temperature and increased frequency of violent wind. The causes of this climate change were attributed to the disruption of social norms and values and small-scale farmers are the most vulnerable. Various developed strategies include : use of extra early maturing varieties, cultivation of different toposequences, application of additional chemical fertilisers, diversification sources of income. //ABSTRACT IN FRENCH: La présente étude met en exergue la variable humaine, responsable des perturbations climatiques suite aux actions anthropiques. Elle a été conduite dans deux communes de la vallée de l'Ouémé, compte tenu de leurs nombreuses potentialités hydro-agricoles et de leur vulnérabilité aux intenses activités agricoles. La méthodologie de recherche comprend : une étude exploratoire permettant de choisir les villages sur la base de critères tels que la toposéquence et l'importance des activités agricoles, une phase d'enquêtes approfondies avec l'administration de questionnaires structurés auprès de 70 producteurs, des entretiens semi-structurés, informels individuels et de groupes, des transects participatifs et une triangulation de sources d'informations complémentaires. Les analyses de perceptions et stratégies d'adaptation ont été faites avec les populations et SAS a été utilisé pour l'analyse en composantes principales. Les résultats révèlent que les producteurs perçoive