http://197.159.135.214/jspui/handle/123456789/18 2026-05-06T11:38:06Z 2026-05-06T11:38:06Z http://197.159.135.214/jspui/handle/123456789/1162 2026-05-06T09:55:30Z 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z

Understanding and Teaching Climate Change Concepts in Geography Curriculum at Secondary Schools in Senegal This study investigates into the teachers‘ and learners‘ understanding of climate change concepts in the secondary education from the geography curriculum in Senegal. As a solution to climate change, formal education has been identified as a major tool of changing people‘s attitude towards the environmental protection. The study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 101 geography teachers and 320 students selected from 16 secondary schools through multistage sampling methods, including simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Data for this study were also collected from 8 school principals and 8 school headmasters, 16 focus group discussions among students and 9 key informant interviews, including 3 senior inspectors of geography, 3 senior geography curriculum designers and 3 senior environmental education officers. The research used a thematic area content analysis template to quantify and analyse climate change content in the geography curriculum for the lower and upper secondary schools. To analyse the data obtained from respondents, a logistic regression model, climate change awareness index, chi-square and independent sample t-tests and descriptive statistics were used for this study. The results of the study reveal that 43% of identified relevant climate change content was not addressed in the secondary geography curriculum, indicating that this current curriculum is inadequate for effective climate change education in schools. Further, the average climate change awareness index for geography teachers was 0.6455 (64.55%), implying that geography teachers fairly understand climate change concepts while, climate change awareness index for students was 0.5343 (53.43%), showing that students scantly understand climate change concepts. There is no significant relationship between climate change content in the geography curriculum and climate change awareness of geography teachers and their students as revealed in the chi-square test for teachers (83.651>0.552) and for students (49.503>0.718). In addition, numerous gaps and misconceptions were found to exist in teachers‘ and students‘ understanding of climate change concepts, particularly the scientific processes of climate change causes and its remedies. The findings of the logistic regression model showed that frequency of teaching about climate change, teacher‘s experience, comprehensive geography curriculum, teacher‘s knowledge of climate change, and teaching and learning climate change resources positively and significantly influence the effectiveness of teaching about climate change concepts. The study recommends that climate change content should be explicitly integrated into all the geography topics from lower to upper secondary level across all grades. The research also recommends that the Government of Senegal should train geography teachers on climate change education both at in-service and pre-service level and providing the resources required for climate change education. It would be essential to establish environmental clubs in all Senegalese secondary schools with full engagement and active participation of teachers, headmasters, principals and students of all grade levels so as to promoting climate change education, therefore inciting pro-environmental activities in schools and communities. A Thesis submitted to the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use and the University of The Gambia, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree in Climate Change and Education

2023-05-01T00:00:00Z Mahaman Yaou, Abdoul Bassidou http://197.159.135.214/jspui/handle/123456789/1161 2026-05-06T09:50:35Z 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z

Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Niger Mahaman Yaou, Abdoul Bassidou Rural population in developing countries have been exposed and severely affected by climate vagaries, while adaptation has been challenging due to their luck of knowledge, capitals and capabilities to face risks. This research provides new empirical evidence on rural household’s sustainability and climate change adaptation in Niger. This was necessitated by the fact that although the direct physical and biophysical impacts of climate change are mostly assessed, very little knowledge exists on the indirect economic, social, and human impacts of climate change, and the vulnerability of rural communities involved in livelihood-improving adaptation. The thesis consisted of assessing the level and determinants of the awareness of climate change, identifying the main drivers and welfare impacts of food storage, pastoralism, and labour diversification constituting three of the five specified adaptation classes, and evaluating rural maladaptive actions that drive changes in the adaptive capacity of different community groups engaged in conflicts over access to natural resources. The research uses a multistage sampling to collect primary data on 835 households on climate change, education, and conflicts in Tahoua, the central pastoral region of Niger, and Maradi, one of the central agricultural regions of the country. Two panel datasets from the three survey cohorts on households’ living conditions and agriculture (ECVMA), secondary data collected by the National Institute of Statistics of Niger and the World Bank with 20,323 observations on households and 23,750 observations on land plots was also sourced. A logit regression, Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) and instrumental variable regression were respectively estimated on the awareness of climate change, the drivers of adaptation, and maladaptation and conflicts. The results show that only higher education significantly determines awareness, while information broadcasting highly determines awareness of climate change. Adaptation was revealed to be highly incentivised by weather anomalies and market shocks. Responding to climate variability through food storage, labour diversification, and pastoralism have significant welfare effects on the households. Disadvantaged groups settle with low-risk but low-return adaptation techniques due to their social status. The study found important dynamics of maladaptation, magnified by governance failure, undermining the adaptive capacity of communities and resulting in to conflicts. Development efforts through the national adaptation plan (NAPs) should focus on integrating food storage, labour diversification, and pastoralism as household level adaptation technics, and integrate awareness raising in the rural areas. It should consider adopting more consultation and inclusiveness to account not only the physical impacts but also the economic, social, and human impacts of climate change. Finally, governance at different levels and institutions should be reformed to integrate accountability, leadership, and flexibility to facilitate peaceful climate change adaptation. A Thesis submitted to the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use and the University of The Gambia, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree in Climate Change and Education

2023-05-01T00:00:00Z Sanogo, Nagalé Dit Mahamadou http://197.159.135.214/jspui/handle/123456789/1160 2026-05-06T09:38:07Z 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z

Landscape Restoration through Agroforestry: Options for Reconciling Livelihoods with Conservation in the Sahel of Mali Sanogo, Nagalé Dit Mahamadou Land provides the basis for human livelihoods through primary production, food and freshwater supply, and multiple other ecosystem services (ES). The last three decades have recorded frequent drought events as well as rapid population growth, which has often resulted in adverse Land Use Cover Changes (LULCC) in the Sahel of Sub-Sahara Africa, particularly in Mali. With regards to the above challenges, the study evaluated the dynamic of LULCC and its driving factor. using mixed method of remote sensing, GIS supported by FGD with local people. Moreover, people’s contextual livelihoods need species prioritization, experimentation, and perception on the potential ecosystem services from restoration interventions was conducting through workshops, direct field observation and FGD. As results, it was found that the study area faced a rapid decrease in wooded savannah ecosystem and was converted into shrub savannah, farmland, and settlement. Bivariate correlation shows that within the time frame (1990 to 2020), the increase in farmland significantly correlates with population growth (p-value = 0.04), whereas the decrease in wooded savannah correlates with the increase in settlements (p-value = 0.005) and the increase in grassland (p-value = 0.03). Moreover, a conversion of shrub savannah into grassland has also been recorded (p-value = 0.05). These changes were directly or indirectly related to the pressure of rapid population growth, high cotton price which encouraged cropland expansion and recurrent drought. Firewood extraction, and charcoal production were also recorded but exacerbated by the poverty. For addressing LULCC, people’s preferred and are motivated when all fruits, fodder tree and grasses species are promoted under business-based platform, specific varieties of fruits species under Agri silviculture systems and fodder trees, shrubs, and grass under silvopastoral systems. This incentive is attributed, not only to the species socio-ecological value but also to their suitability to the soil type, climate, agroforestry system and proper management practices. Moreover, people preferred fodder specific grass, shrubs, and tree species under silvopastoral systems at an appreciation score of ≥ 80% while fruits trees species are mainly appreciated under Agri silvicultural systems ≥ 60% and business-based platform recorded ≥ 70% a score for all the species. In term of germination, it was found that fodder grass species geminate faster when planted under half-moon management practice under sandy soil than open tilled land (3 to 7 days in soil specific in dry spell condition). Grasses and leguminous fodder recorded high survival rate when planted under clay soil followed by clay and sandy mixed soil (70 to 90 %) while low survival was noticed under sandy and lateritic soil. All the Fodder trees and shrubs recorded significant survival rate (≥ 80 %) under Business based platform system and Agri silvicultural system while fruits trees recorded (≥ 69 %). Restored lands under above conditions provide significant ecosystems from both men and women perception but more services are perceived by men than women and much attention has not been paid on water supply facilities when restoring degraded land with agroforestry systems. With regards to these finding, land restoration intervention needs to considered gender balance centered approach for sustainable ES profits sharing. To address these issues, this study recommended the promotion of Integrated Land Use system (ILUS) strategies that consider current and future livelihood needs and preserve the environment for the benefits of future generations. The adopting of ILUS should considered people’s livelihoods need based species or varieties preferences, soil nature, management practices under a specific climatic condition. National ILIUS policies strategies need to be developed and applied considering contextual land use dynamics, driving factors, adapted agroforestry systems under proper management practices with introduction of suitable livelihoods specific species to be introduced. A Thesis submitted to the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use and the University of The Gambia, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree in Climate Change and Education

2023-05-01T00:00:00Z Bagbohouna, M'koumfida http://197.159.135.214/jspui/handle/123456789/1159 2026-05-06T09:31:31Z 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z

Climate-Resilient Multifunctional Landscapes in the Kara River Basin (Togo, West Africa): Steps towards participatory Decision-Making Bagbohouna, M'koumfida The land-water-climate nexus has not gained full attention, especially from the human-ecological perspective and questions on the relevance of land use decision-making by farmers within the multifunctional landscapes of the Kara River Basin (KRB) are unanswered in the context of climate change. To ensure climate-resilient multifunctional landscapes for the continuous provision of key ecosystem services in the basin, steps towards participatory management approach is necessary. The study examined the awareness and perception of farmers on climate, land use and land cover (LULC) changes and traditional livelihood climate-resilient strategies. Next, the study determined the spatial and temporal LULC change and the main driving factors of change in the basin, and; third, modelled farmers’ decisions to climate, land use changes and water availability for agriculture in the KRB. The CCLULCAI = 0.57 showed a moderate awareness level. Traditional climate resilient strategies included leaving farm residues on the land, contour farming, keeping trees on farmlands, terrace cultivation, compost, mulching, construction of water ponds, agroforestry, among others. Climate data analysis of the study area indicated rainfall variability and increase in temperature across four locations (Kante, Guerin Kouka, Takpamba, and Niamtougou) with extreme climate events identified over the past 30 years; likely to have had implications on water availability and farming activities of the locals. Projected temperatures and precipitations by the end of the century (2100) using the five Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios indicated high increases in both temperatures and rainfalls with important anomalies in their distributions over the years and risks of droughts and floodings. Guerin Kouka, Niamtougou and Kante is projected to experience the highest increase in temperature though Takpamba is more likely to be the hottest location by end of the century. LULC changes analysis from 1987-2021 revealed significant decreases of 75%, 22%, and 25% respectively in water bodies, forest and savannah across the basin whilst increase was recorded in settlements and agricultural lands of about 43% and 24%, respectively. A combined deforestation rate (both forest and savannah) was estimated for about 47% from 1987-2021 with an annual rate of 1.1% (84.7% by 2100). The top three identified main drivers include i) agriculture development, ii) logging, and iii) population growth. FCREE-Kara Basin, a serious game was developed to model farmers’ decisions to climate, land use changes and water availability for agriculture resources in the basin using scenarios (climate, influence of actors) and land use system information. The deeply rooted traditional and local ecological knowledge (embedded in culture and food security reasons) and economic returns appeared to be the reasons behind the choices of farmers to adopt a particular land use or crop systems. Economic motivations were highly influenced by actors such as commercial agro enterprises and agricultural institutes/agencies which promote the agropole concept. External pressures like water unavailability due to climate variability or dry spells did not influence very much farmers’ land use systems. The study demonstrated the need for an increase of the locals about CC and LULCC issues, the promotion of water saving technologies and reforestation actions with particular attention to agroforestry practices whilst encouraging agro-commercial enterprises to promote afforestation/reforestation and climate-resilient strategies. A Thesis submitted to the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use and the University of The Gambia, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree in Climate Change and Education

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