The Economic Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture in Cameroon

This study examines the impact of climate change on crop farming in Cameroon. The country's economy is predominantly agrarian and agriculture and the exploitation of natural resources remain the driving force for the country's economic development. Fluctuations in national income are due not merely to the decline in world demand for Cameroon's traditional agricultural exports or to mistakes in economic policy making, but also to the vagaries of the weather. Based on a farm-level survey of more than 800 farms, the study employs a Ricardian cross-sectional approach to measure the relationship between climate and the net revenue from crops. Net revenue is regressed on climate, water flow, soil, and economic variables. Further, uniform scenarios assume that only one aspect of climate changes and the change is uniform across the whole country. The analysis finds that net revenues fall as precipitation decreases or temperatures increase across all the surveyed farms. The study reaffirms that agriculture in Cameroon is often limited by seasonality and the availability of moisture. Although other physical factors, such as soil and relief, have an important influence on agriculture, climate remains the dominant influence on the variety of crops cultivated and the types of agriculture practiced.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Molua, Ernest L., Lambi, Cornelius M.
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2007-09
Subjects:	ADVERSE EFFECTS, AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT, AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, AGRICULTURE, AIR, ALTITUDE, ATMOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE, ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH, CARBON, CARBON DIOXIDE, CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS, CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH, CLIMATE CHANGES, CLIMATE EFFECTS, CLIMATE RESEARCH, CLIMATE SENSITIVITY, CLIMATE VARIABILITY, CLIMATE VARIABLES, CLIMATE VARIATION, CLIMATE WARMING, CLIMATE ZONES, CLIMATES, CLIMATIC CHANGE, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, CLIMATIC REGIONS, CLIMATIC RESEARCH, CLIMATIC ZONES, CLIMATOLOGISTS, CLIMATOLOGY, CLOUD COVER, COASTAL ZONES, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, CONSUMER SURPLUS, CONSUMERS, CONVERGENCE, CROP MIX, CROPPING SYSTEMS, DAMAGES, DEFORESTATION, DESERTIFICATION, DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS, DOWNPOURS, DROUGHT, DRY SEASON, DYNAMIC ANALYSIS, ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS, ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATES, ECONOMETRICS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC EFFECTS, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC IMPACT, ECONOMIC IMPACTS, ECONOMIC INFORMATION, ECONOMIC MODELS, ECONOMIC PROGRESS, ECONOMIC RENT, ECONOMIC RESEARCH, ECONOMIC THOUGHT, ECONOMICS, ECOSYSTEM, EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, EQUATORIAL CLIMATE, EQUATORIAL ZONE, EQUILIBRIUM, EVAPOTRANSPIRATION, EXOGENOUS VARIABLES, EXPLOITATION, EXPORTS, EXTERNALITIES, EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, FARMS, FIXED COSTS, FLOODS, FOOD PRODUCTION, FORECASTS, FOREST, FORESTRY, FORESTS, FROST, GDP, GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT, GLOBAL WARMING, GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES, GRASSLANDS, GREENHOUSE GASES, HUMIDITY, HYDROLOGY, HYDROMETEOROLOGY, INPUT PRICES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE, IPCC, IRRIGATION, ITCZ, LABOR COSTS, LABOR FORCE, LAND PRODUCTIVITY, LAND USE, LAND VALUE, LANDS, MARGINAL COST, MARGINAL PRODUCTIVITY, MARGINAL VALUE, MARKET PRICES, MICROECONOMIC ANALYSIS, MONSOON, NATIONAL ECONOMY, NATIONAL INCOME, NATURAL RESOURCE, NATURAL RESOURCES, NORTH AFRICA, PASTORALISTS, POLICY MAKERS, POPULATION GROWTH, POTENTIAL IMPACTS, PRECIPITATION, PRESENT VALUE, PRODUCERS, PRODUCTION COSTS, PRODUCTION FUNCTION, PRODUCTION INPUTS, PRODUCTION PATTERNS, PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, RAIN, RAINFALL, RAINFALL VARIABILITY, RAINWATER, RAINY SEASON, REAL GDP, RELATIVE HUMIDITY, RESEARCH AGENDA, RISK MANAGEMENT, RIVER, RIVER BASINS, RUNOFF, SAHEL, SATELLITES, SEA, SEA ICE, SHADOW PRICES, SOIL, SOILS, SPATIAL PATTERNS, STORMS, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, TEMPERATURE, TOTAL COSTS, TRADE POLICIES, TROPICAL CLIMATE, VEGETATION, WATER RESOURCES, WATER USE, WEATHER, WEATHER STATIONS, WET SEASON, WIND, WIND DIRECTION, WIND SPEED, WINDS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/09/8340536/economic-impact-climate-change-agriculture-cameroon-vol-1of-1-economic-impact-climate-change-agriculture-cameroon https://hdl.handle.net/10986/7362
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