Exploiting Partnerships in Research and Development to help African Rice Farmers cope with Climate Variability

Climate change is already impacting negatively on Africa through extreme temperatures, frequent flooding and droughts and increased salinity of water supplies used for irrigation. Widespread poverty and high dependence on rainfed agriculture in Africa renders the continent more vulnerable to climate change-induced disasters than other regions of the world. Thus urgent measures need to be undertaken to improve the resilience of African communities, especially those in rural areas, to enable them to better adapt to climate change. Rice is an important crop in the continent, both for food security and commerce, and increased rice production in Africa will be crucial in achieving the necessary adaptation. However, rice production in Africa is affected by abiotic stresses such as heat stress, flooding, drought and salinity, all of which are expected to worsen with climate change. The Africa Rice Center (WARDA) is well positioned to use its partnership-based model through its networks for developing and disseminating climate-resilient rice-based technologies in Africa. Through its partners in regional networks WARDA has developed and disseminated several technologies such as the New Rice for Africa or NERICA®, the adoption of which have led to increased rice production as well as improved livelihoods for farm families in Africa. WARDA could therefore play a critical role in offering African communities further durable options for increased food security and better livelihoods to help them adapt to the effects of climate change. However, more work is needed in environmental characterization, prediction of future climate patterns and wider dissemination of already developed climate-resilient rice-based technologies