Abstract:
This study aims to provide improved knowledge and evidence on current (1986–2015)
climate variation based on six rainfall indices over fiveWest African countries (Senegal, Niger, Burkina
Faso, Ivory Coast, and Benin) using the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station
(CHIRPS) dataset. On average, precipitation has increased over the central Sahel and the western
Sahel. This increase is associated with increase in the number of rainy days, longer wet spells and
shorter dry spells. Over the Guinea Coast, the slight increase in precipitation is associated with an
increase in the intensity of rainfall with a shorter duration of wet spells. However, these mean changes
in precipitation are not all statistically significant and uniform within a country. While previous
studies are focused on regional and sub-regional scales, this study contributes to deliver a climate
information at a country level that is more relevant for decision making and for policy makers,
and to document climate-related risks within a country to feed impact studies in key sectors of the
development, such as agriculture and water resources.
