Climate change, more than an environmental issue,
is now a fundamental development concern.
Indeed, their impacts do not spare any sector of human development or
any ecosystem, whether marine, desert, forest, aquatic or terrestrial.
The conclusions of various studies by leading institutions in the field of
climate change such as the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) are unanimous in recognizing that
climate change is one of the most daunting challenges that humanity
will face for several decades due to its transversal nature and the global extent
of its impacts. As an illustration, the fourth assessment report
of the IPCC, prepared in 2007, indicates that Africa is one of the most vulnerable parts
of the world to climate change, although it is the continent that
emits the least greenhouse gases, which are responsible for global warming. According to the same report, West Africa,
including Benin, recorded a drastic drop of 20 to 40% in rainfall during the
periods 1931-1960 and 1968-1990 and a drop in the flow of the main rivers of 40 to 60%
since the 1970s. L