ABSTRACT

The Gambia lies in the Sahel region, where rainfall is directly linked to the zonal position of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity and is highly sensitive to perturbations of the global monsoon circulation. To cope with seasonal variability associated with such perturbations, Gambian farmers have traditionally used a number of strategies. But how successful these are is open to debate, considering rural-urban migration trends in the past three decades. In the face of imminent threats from climate change, adaptation strategies inspired and informed by past and current coping strategies are reported in The Gambia’s Initial National Communication (GOTG, 2003), but their performance remains to be evaluated in terms of economic viability or impact on national food security.