SWE-2012-115: Adapting to changing climate in drylands: The re-greening in Sahel as a potential success case

General

Over the past 20 years a substantial greening trend has occurred in parts of the West African Sahel. Understanding the extent to which this is happening, the implications for livelihoods in the region and the human dimensions behind this greening is interesting for climate change adaptation. This occurs in a region where climate change is expected and where there is a prevailing perception that human induced land degradation is common. We compare several different regions in Niger and Burkina Faso that has been *greening up* to different levels, but which have similar biophysical and social preconditions. In each region we study the re-greening, map out the history of social and biophysical driving forces behind it, link the greening to ecosystem services for livelihoods, and build scenarios based on the farmers perception of the future.